24 May 2023 , 14:12
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Arsenal legend Ian Wright has vowed to stop worrying about Gunners ace Bukayo Saka after confessing he used to fret over his fitness.
Since he broke into the first-team fold under the reign of Unai Emery, Saka has established himself as one of the best young players in the Premier League. However, with that status comes some pretty brutal challenges from defenders out to thwart the 21-year-old in his tracks and Saka has been on the receiving end of one too many if you ask Wright or indeed manager Mikel Arteta.
It has been that way ever since he burst onto the scene and Wright has been worrying ever since. Two and a half years ago, the Arsenal icon spoke about how essential it is that Saka's development wasn't thwarted through injury.
"Saka, everybody is worried about him because he is so young and he has the weight of being expected to create for all of Arsenal – same with Smith Rowe and when Martinelli comes back – but they are doing it at the moment," Wright explained to Optus Sports in January 2021.
"Smith Rowe went off with cramp, you're hoping Saka can stay fit, if anything happens to those guys, from a creative point of view."
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Fast forward to May of 2023 and as part of an interview, found on the club website, between the pair to celebrate Saka's new contract extension at the Emirates, Wright told Arsenal's number seven directly how he won't worry about the Gunners winger any longer.
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Bukayo Saka has been on the wrong end of some crunching tackles this season"You know, I've got to say about my own journey, my own journey supporting you and worrying about you, worrying about injuries, worrying about people kicking you because I never hear you complain about that stuff," Wright admitted.
"But it's something from my point of view - I don't want to put it into you. I'm going to stop worrying about you."
Saka was quick to try and ease any fears, as he replied: "I didn't know anyone was worried", before Wright interjected to add: "because it's what you mean to us and I think that what we do, coming from Hale End (Arsenal's academy), we're almost overprotective."
In the same interview, Saka opened up on the emotion of Arsenal missing out on a first league title in 19 years.
"Obviously, speaking about this season, it hurts a lot, it really hurts so much to even think about how we've ended this season and what could have been," he conceded.
Saka did go on to add: "I think when the dust settles and all the negative emotions are out, I think everyone can look at us and be excited about the future."