Super Eagles of Nigeria winger, Nathan Tella, said he was confused when Arsenal decided to release him from the club’s youth system.
Nathan Tella joined the Arsenal youth system at 6 years old and gained promotion to the club’s under-18 team on July 1, 2015.
Tella went on trials in 2017 and joined the team’s under-21 team on April 21, 2017. He gained promotion to the club’s senior team on July 1, 2020.
After spending the 2022-2023 season on loan at Burnley, he moved to German Bundesliga side, Bayer Leverkusen on a permanent deal on August 27, 2023, for a transfer fee worth £23.20 million.
So far in the 2023-2024 season, Nathan Tella has played 36 games, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in all competitions.
Tella’s contribution to Bayer Leverkusen helped the club win their first-ever German Bundesliga title this season. They are on the verge of winning two more titles – the Europa League, and the DFB-POKAL.
On how he coped with the setback of being kicked out of Arsenal as a teenager, the 24-year-old winger told VAVEL that it was a tough experience.
“I couldn’t believe it, Arsenal was all I knew from the age of six when I got scouted”, Tella said.
“It was tough because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Maybe stay at Arsenal, try to force their hand and make another decision, or if I was to go out on trials. I spoke to my family, I spoke to my agent they said it’s best to go on trials to see what I can do and get out of my comfort zone.”
He added, “It was tough because I didn’t know what I wanted to do.”
Note that Nathan Tella made his international debut for the Nigerian Super Eagles on November 19, 2023. Since then, he has played just once for the country.