Miyaichi targeting Arsenal first team

Arsene Wenger signed Miyaichi last month after being impressed by the youngster during a trial in the summer.

The 18-year-old is the second Japanese player to join Arsenal. The first, Junichi Inamoto, failed to make a single league appearance for the Emirates Stadium outfit, but Miyaichi is convinced he will fare better.

"I'm confident I have the ability to penetrate defences over there and hopefully I'll be given the marks that I am looking for," he said, speaking to Japanese news network Kyodo News.

"I just have to go there and give it a shot, compete and hopefully one day I will be standing on the pitch at Emirates Stadium."

Miyaichi’s eye-catching blend of outlandish skill and blistering pace has prompted comparisons with the likes of Gunners' great Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the former Japanese U17 international knows he has a long way to go in order to merit such praise.

"I don't feel pressured [by the comparisons] but I know in myself that I have nowhere near the talent of such great players as Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry," he said.

"I just have to do my best to one day come close to being the kind of players they are."

By Liam Twomey

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Gregg Davies

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.