Next season’s new stars 1: Gibbs

The first time we saw Kieran Gibbs was when he scored in both legs of the FA Youth Cup Semi Final against Manchester United last season.

Since then he has been in an Emirates Cup game, the league cup team against Sheffield Utd., on loan at Norwich, and on his return to Arsenal from the loan, immediately played for the reserves before being an unused sub in the game against Everton – as he was a year before in the end of season game at Portsmouth.

He plays either central midfield or wide on the left, and has been called up for England.

On September 10, 2007, Kieran signed professional forms with the Club – put that lot together and you have a first team squad member.

There is talk of a further loan deal just to bring him up to standard, but insiders say that won’t happen until after the transfer deadline and Wenger sees exactly who he has got for the cup teams.

Even if Gibbs does go on loan it won’t be for the whole season, and he will certainly play an ever greater part in the club’s future.