The rising star credits the departing academy chief with instilling vital human values and professional discipline, proving his "Strong Young Gunners" philosophy extends far beyond the pitch.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has credited Per Mertesacker with helping shape him as both a footballer and a person as the Arsenal academy manager prepares to leave the club this summer.
Mertesacker is set to end his 15-year association with Arsenal at the end of the season, having first joined as a player before later taking charge of the academy. His time at Hale End has coincided with the development of several players who have gone on to reach Mikel Arteta’s first team.
Lewis-Skelly is one of the clearest examples. The teenager joined Arsenal’s academy at the age of eight in 2015, three years before Mertesacker became academy manager, and has since progressed into the senior squad. He made his first-team debut last season and has now become an important option for Arteta during a defining stage of both the Premier League and Champions League campaigns.
Speaking to Arsenal’s official website, Lewis-Skelly said Mertesacker’s influence had gone beyond football.
“I’ll start off by saying that Per is a top guy and he’s definitely instilled so many values in me,” Lewis-Skelly said. “For example, the importance of being a good person and that your identity is not just on the football pitch.
“That has really resonated with me because, as a footballer, people only see you in that light. Per has really helped me to understand that away from football you’re a human being first, and how important that is.”
That message has been central to Mertesacker’s work at Hale End. Arsenal’s academy has placed heavy emphasis on developing well-rounded individuals, not simply players capable of reaching the first team.
Mertesacker’s influence at Hale End can also be seen in the wider group of academy players who have reached the Arsenal first team during his time in charge. Emile Smith Rowe made his senior debut in September 2018, shortly after Mertesacker formally took over the academy role, while Ethan Nwaneri became the youngest player in Arsenal’s history when he debuted against Brentford in September 2022. More recently, Max Dowman has become another example of the pathway, having developed at Hale End before making his senior breakthrough.
Lewis-Skelly said the phrase “Strong Young Gunners” reflected that wider approach.
“To me, first of all it means how you live your life, how you conduct yourself away from football, how the off pitch stuff correlates on the pitch,” he said. “Strong Young Gunners to me is every day how you act, how you perceive, how you are essentially as a person first of all.”
Mertesacker’s presence at Hale End was also felt day to day. Lewis-Skelly described the former Arsenal defender as hands-on and visible around the academy, with his experience giving young players someone they could relate to on and off the pitch.
“Definitely, he plays a massive part in the lives of our young players, especially because of his experience,” Lewis-Skelly said. “As a player he’s someone you can relate to on a football level and as a human level as well, which is really key to have as a player.
“He knows a lot about the game, the hardships, the big moments, so it’s really beneficial for us.”
Lewis-Skelly’s own rise has underlined the value of that pathway. His recent first-team involvement has come at a crucial point in Arsenal’s season, with Arteta trusting him in major matches as the club compete for the Premier League and Champions League.