Published: 18:35, 13 January 2026 | Updated: 18:37, 13 January 2026

Bukayo Saka has long been considered Arsenal royalty but the Gunners winger has revealed his place on the throne stretches back even to his earliest steps at the club.

When Saka went on trial at Arsenal’s Hale End academy at the age of seven, he wore a shirt that his dad had bought for him that had the nickname ‘King Kayo’ emblazoned across the back.

In an interview with Men in Blazers Media Network, Saka said: ‘When he first bought the shirt, I didn’t know whether I wanted to wear it or not because it was a trial and you don’t want to turn up with ‘King’ on your back.

'But my dad pushed me and said, no, believe in yourself. Go for it. In the end, I just did. After a while, when you’re playing football, you forget about it anyway.’

Turns out his dad Yomi was right all along as Saka has gone on to become one of Arsenal’s most important players. Aged 24, he is already in the top...