Kieran Gibbs

Nacer Barazite did not think Kieran Gibbs would make the first-team

Former Arsenal man Nacer Barazite has singled out Kieran Gibbs for special praise, admitting his surprise at the full back’s development.

The pair trained together in the Gunners’ youth teams and the Dutchman felt that Gibbs was unlikely to reach the first team.

“At the time I came [to Arsenal] Gibbs was not really a player who was standing out from all the others, who was well known by everyone, but suddenly he started playing very well and he got his opportunity and he took it,” Barazite said.

“For example he went on loan to Norwich City and he didn’t perform very, very well but he did enough. He came back and he got his chance anyway and he took it very well and now he’s performing great so that’s another situation: where you can do very well on loan, for example, and not get a chance but the opposite is also possible.”

Barazite was not surprised to see Wojciech Szczesny and Jack Wilshere make their way into the first team.

He added: “If you look at Jack Wilshere and Wojciech Szczesny, they are players who were standing out already in the youth sides and you could see, yes, they were big prospects and their potential came out.”