Louis Zecevic-John was firmly in focus on Saturday during our Under-18 clash with Fulham at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.
The forward began the U18 Premier League fixture by slotting home the opening goal, rounding the goalkeeper before tucking the Gunners into the lead.
However, what the youngster may not have been expecting was to end the day’s action between the sticks himself.
After Louis’ first-half strike, Fulham turned the game on its head following the interval with goals from Anand Batra and Brodie Dair, and our woes were compounded 10 minutes from time when our goalkeeper Remi Lupinski was shown a straight red card for handling outside the area.
Zecevic-John donned the gloves and turned out to make a strong save, denying Tarrell Cavell’s shot – offering the platform for 14-year-old Luis Munoz to smash home a terrific stoppage-time equaliser on his debut for Adam Birchall’s squad.
Speaking after the frenetic draw, 18-year-old Louis said: “In the last 10 minutes, it was chaotic – I’ll say that! Everyone all over the place, ‘keeper sent off and obviously me having to go in goal.
“What a great way to end, though, with a draw – I think the boys deserved it.
“Other than maybe Saturday league, I’ve never gone from goalscoring to shot-stopping! But I’ve practiced a few times as a joke in the dome with the boys, and it’s important to have a player on the team who can do multiple roles.”
As one of the elder statesmen in Birchall’s Under-18 setup, Zecevic-John praised the younger charges in the team for their impact on the game.
A tricky trip to Chelsea beckons as the next test in two weeks’ time – and Louis will certainly be back to doing what he does best outfield.
“I think in the first half we were dominating them and could’ve killed (Fulham) off,” he admitted.
“Then it could’ve been an easier game for us, but the finishing actions weren’t on our side, which then caused them to come back stronger in the second half with a good first 20 minutes.
“For the young boys in the team especially (to recover for a draw), it’s really good to see their personalities come out at such a difficult period of the game. We were praising and clapping them (in the dressing room) before. I remember when I was their age, it would’ve been more a feeling of ‘the game’s over’ – but what they did was amazing.”
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