"Arsenal have a real gem of a player" – Gunners great heaps praise on youngster

Former Arsenal star Michael Thomas has heaped praise on teenager Bukayo Saka, saying the Gunners and the England national team have got a real gem on their hands.

Saka's impressive performances for Arsenal over the past couple of seasons earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2020.

Despite impressing in the first few games, Saka's tournament ended in disastrous fashion as he missed the last penalty of the final against Italy.

Saka's penalty is saved, which means the #EURO2020 final ends in defeat for the #ThreeLions. pic.twitter.com/r9cFIVJqVG

— England (@England) July 11, 2021

In the aftermath, Saka, along with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, who also missed in the shootout, received racial abuse from a section of the fans.

Speaking to CaughtOffside, Michael Thomas extended his support to Saka, who he believes has a bright future.

"I am not sure how the penalty takers were picked but I think no matter how much training you’ve had on them, in a game situation this is a different feeling. Ask the players who want one and then go from there," Thomas said.

“Bukayo is an amazing young man both on and off the field. He is fearless and has a big character. He has all the right people around him and I am 100% certain that he will be at his best after a much deserved break. England and Arsenal have a real gem of a player.”

Arsenal legend criticizes Gareth Southgate

Michael Thomas also criticized Gareth Southgate for his tactics in the final against Italy. According to the former Arsenal midfielder, Southgate did a lot of things correctly until the title decider, where he came unstuck.

Watch live as Gareth Southgate reflects on a second-placed finish at #EURO2020 for the #ThreeLions: https://t.co/AtWHOrKnip

— England (@England) July 12, 2021

“I think Southgate got a lot of things right during the tournament but in the final he made a couple of mistakes," Thomas said. "We scored very early on and Italy couldn’t handle the pace of the game for the opening 15-20 minutes and I feel like we didn’t make the most of that.

"This then changed to a more negative approach and the way they kept the ball was always going to make our players become more wary and tired towards the end."