Arsenal legend Thierry Henry believes Bukayo Saka needs to find his nasty streak if he wants to become a world-class player.
Saka has been in outstanding form this season but, when asked what the England international has to do to make himself a truly elite performer, Henry replied:
“I said it the other day, I was on Amazon doing the game against West Ham, I said ‘big players are not nice’, If you want to be big, if you want to be the guy, big players are not nice.”
Having a ruthless attitude is part and parcel of being a forward, but it’s hard to see Saka being the sort of person that Henry describes.
The 21-year-old is a very likeable character and the fact that he is so humble has played a huge part in him becoming the outstanding footballer that he is now.
You need a modesty and work ethic to make it as a top Premier League player. It is a difficult road to take, with a lot of setbacks. The fallout after missing a penalty in the European Championship final was particularly difficult for Saka but he has knuckled down and worked hard to recover from such a disappointment. Whether the winger will change to become that ruthless operator that Henry wants, though, it’s unlikely.