Myles Lewis-Skelly must be ‘MORE aggressive’, claims Nigel Winterburn – as legendary Arsenal full back outlines how far he can go

Nigel Winterburn has called on Arsenal starlet Myles Lewis-Skelly to be more aggressive – and urges Thomas Tuchel to consider him for an England berth.

The Gunners legend, who won three league titles with Arsenal in the 1980s and ’90s, watched the youngster develop over the years in the club’s Hale End academy. 

He is not surprised to see the Islington-born talent become a trusted member of Mikel Arteta‘s squad but thinks he has a lot to learn about the left-back position which he manned in his own career. 

Mail Sport caught up with Winterburn before Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday, during which Lewis-Skelly was controversially sent off for a cynical foul on Matt Doherty. 

The fall-out from that flashpoint has been explosive – and unfortunately threatening for referee Michael Oliver and his family  – with Arsenal winning an appeal against a call which left manager Mikel Arteta ‘absolutely fuming’.

‘I’ve got to say, his development has been sensational,’ Winterburn told Mail Sport via William Hill Vegas. 

The youngster has made his mark on the Arsenal team but was controverisally sent off at the weekend

Gunners legend Winterburn has watched the youngster develop in the club’s academy 

‘He’s now asking the question of Mikel Arteta: dare you leave me out the team? Because his performances have been so good. 

‘I’d like to see him be more aggressive in that full-back role defending, particularly shutting the opposition team down, pushing them into areas where he wants them to go or the team want them to go or what they’ve been working on in training. 

‘On the ball, he protects the ball really well, you can see that midfield role, he’s a good mover with the ball, that’s never been a doubt in my mind.

‘I’ve watched Myles come through the youth system as I was doing some co-commentating for Arsenal. He was a midfield player initially but under Mikel Arteta he has been converted to that left-back role. 

‘I think he’s even become even more physically stronger. The Premier League isn’t physical anymore, but the physical side to protect the ball, he’s easily capable of doing that 

‘I can just see him progressing and getting stronger and stronger in terms of that position because, let’s be fair, he hasn’t played in that position much. 

‘He should just become so much stronger in that position, in terms of his understanding of the role, almost dictating to your team-mates where you want them to be, the areas you want to push the opposition into, but you can see that he doesn’t play with any fear, as young players shouldn’t.’ 

Winterburn knows what he is talking about. He was no stranger to a crunching tackle himself and was a mainstay at Arsenal for 13 years, winning 11 trophies and learning under iconic long-term managers in George Graham and Arsene Wenger. He was also, incidentally, the first Arsenal player to be sent off in the Premier League, two yellow cards coming against Liverpool in January 1993. 

Arsenal won their appeal against the red card which saw Lewis-Skelly banned for three games

It would be no surprise if Thomas Tuchel looked at Lewis-Skelly for England, says Winterburn

One of his most famous games was Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Anfield in May 1989 to clinch the First Division title on the last day of the season. 

Arsenal went in needing a victory by two goals to steal the crown from under Liverpool’s noses and produced a 91st-minute winner. The current crop will be hoping for similar fortune when they travel to Merseyside on May 10 in the final stretch of this campaign.

Injuries are doing their best to hold back the Gunners. Lewis-Skelly’s straight red card and three-game suspension threatened to add a further problem, but Arsenal have since won their appeal. 

Jamie Redknapp said the youngster’s foul on Doherty was an ‘amber’, while VAR Darren England confirmed Oliver’s on-field call as ‘serious foul play’.

There was broad outcry due to the challenge being on the edge of Wolves’ own box and Arsenal have appealed. As it stands, he is ruled out of Arsenal’s Premier League clahses with Manchester City and Leicester City, as well as the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle. 

It is a learning curve for Lewis-Skelly, but Winterburn feels this young man can go right to the very top and should have an England call-up in his sights.

‘It wouldn’t surprise me if he got selected to drop into one of the England squads, even if he didn’t play, just to have a look at,’ he said. 

‘He’s modern, he’s suited to that role unbelievably, because he can protect the ball, he can pass, he can move with the ball if you want him to, he can go outside and inside.

Winterburn won three league titles over a 13-year period playing for the Gunners

‘Mainly at Arsenal he’s playing that inverted role, but if he needs to go on the outside and be occasionally overlapping as well, there’s no doubt he can do that as well. The way he controls the ball is incredible.

‘He hasn’t let anyone down and I suggest he might have surprised a few people, although I will say he hasn’t surprised me because I knew what he was capable of doing. 

‘He’s probably pushed the bar a little higher than even what I was expecting, but I knew he was a talented boy.’