Back on the 20th of September, before our first foray into this year’s Carling Cup, I suggested the talented 20-year-old striker Sanchez Watt might well be given a run in the competition this season (Click HERE to read that article).
However, Sanchez did not feature against Shrewsbury or against Bolton, despite being on the bench for both matches and given his goal scoring form for Neil Banfield’s reserves on his return this season from Leeds, he might have not been blamed for feeling sorry for himself. Particularly when watching younger talents such as Ozyakup and Aneke take to the field. However, you simply don’t score 7 goals in 8 starts for Arsenal’s reserves if you are not brimming with confidence, and Leeds fans who watched him on loan last year and the season before will tell you that Sanchez Watt has something about him.
This confidence can only have been added to this month when, after a meeting with Wenger, Watt was offered and has now signed a new long-term deal. I am impressed by this because I have very little doubt that Watt could easily have followed Emmanuel-Thomas out of the Emirates in search of regular first-team football. I would guarantee there would have been many takers in the Championship, or indeed in the lower reaches of the Premiership. This is not the easy option taken by Sanchez, who is a North London Hackney lad who wants to play for the club he supports and grew up with, despite knowing that he is competing with Park, Chamakh, Afobe and potentially Campbell for a supporting role to our skipper – although Watt can play centrally or wide in a three, where he was deployed successfully by Leeds on many occasions.
Watt spoke to Arsenal.com yesterday and he certainly sounded like he has his head screwed on and is extremely focussed:
‘It [the contract] was a big confidence boost.
‘I had a meeting with the boss where he told me what he wants and that he believes in me. I just have to drive myself on.
‘He told me the things I need to work on, what I need to push on, what I am good at and what I now need to use.
‘Now I just need to work hard 24/7 – even when I’m not playing football. It’ not just about what happens on the pitch, I need to focus my lifestyle off the pitch too and it will pay for me when I’m out there.’
