Ex-Arsenal star tipped for stardom by Wenger waited 12 YEARS for first Premier League goal – now he can shock Gunners

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CHUBA AKPOM was once tipped to be Arsenal’s main man, now he is in line to play against the Gunners after a rollercoaster journey.

Akpom, now 30, could feature against Arsenal on Tuesday when Ipswich host Mikel Arteta’s side in the League Cup third round.

The experienced striker has taken the scenic route to return to the Premier League with Ipswich this season.

His goal against Manchester United last month was his first in the Prem, coming 12 years and 350 days after Arsene Wenger handed him his debut for Arsenal as a 17-year-old.

That remarkable wait means he has the third-longest gap between debut and first goal in Prem history, behind only Damien Delany and Jack Robinson.

And it is the perfect illustration of Akpom’s unconventional career to date, a journey that has seen him play across 12 different teams in five different countries.

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“Sometimes at a younger age you don’t realise that it’s not enough to have people saying it, you have got to actually do it and achieve it.”

Akpom was a regular fixture of the England youth setup too, given his enormous potential, and Under-19s boss Noel Blake reckons his qualities are the same today as they were back then.

Blake told SunSport: “What you see with Chuba now, you saw it then. His shape hasn’t changed, his physicality and his stature.

“But his feet were frightening. He had excellent feet. He could play as a striker as a No10 and in the pockets.”

But despite such incredible promise, Akpom never managed to break into the Arsenal first team.

He left in 2018 after making just 12 appearances and spending most of his time on loan at Brentford, Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Hull, Brighton and Belgian side Sint-Truiden.

You would be forgiven for thinking a move to the lower leagues was on the cards, but Akpom opted for a rarely-trodden path – joining Greek top-flight side PAOK.

Aged 22 at the time, Akpom helped PAOK to an unbeaten league campaign with six goals – including a crucial winner against title rivals Olympiacos.

And he topped it off with an overhead kick to win the Greek Cup final and turn an invincible season into a double.

Akpom’s former PAOK team-mate, Omar El Kaddouri, told SunSport: “It was the perfect step for him. We were playing in Europe so he could show himself to the whole of Europe.

“Not a lot of people knew of him outside of England and I think PAOK was the perfect step for him. He got better, he improved a lot.”

Akpom would watch Arsenal games on the team bus and support his former club from a distance in Greece, keeping a special place in his heart for the team that first gave him a chance.

But when the opportunity to return to England came, it was Middlesbrough who came knocking.

The striker joined Boro in 2020, and after two seasons of struggle in the Championship, Akpom was on the brink of leaving the club after being made to train with the U21s by boss Chris Wilder.

That all changed when Michael Carrick came in to replace Wilder and Akpom thrived, winning the Championship Golden Boot with 28 goals in 38 games.

A £12m move to Ajax followed, where Akpom spent two seasons and scored 23 goals before securing another European adventure in a switch to French club Lille on loan.

But it was last season when the lure of England crept back in and Akpom joined Ipswich on loan with a view to making the deal permanent this summer.

Now, after his remarkable journey, he finds himself facing the club where it all started.

Former England youth boss Blake said: “Ask any England coach at that time, they will tell you Chuba always had a terrific attitude.

“He was determined. He has great strength of character, a great resilience and he was determined to achieve something in the game.

“Whatever that may look like. He definitely had ability, resilience and a willingness to win.”

That willingness to win may have seen him regularly fighting team-mates in training while in Greece, but it is also the reason he is now taking on Arsenal back in England.

El Kaddouri added: “It is going to be emotional for him. It is his team. When he was playing for PAOK he used to follow them, watch their games and cheer for them.

“It is a special club for him and it is always special to play the team where you grew up. I am sure he will still be trying to score.