Myles Lewis-Skelly：an 18-year-old’s coming-of-age story

Today I’m going to tell you an inspiring story about soccer. The main character is a young man named Lewis Skelly. He is only 18 years old this year, but he is already playing soccer in the English Premier League. His experience tells us that a person who is willing to work hard can make big achievements at a very young age.

1. Waking up at four o’clock every morning: how does he balance studying and playing soccer?

Have you ever wondered how a teenager can go to school and play professional soccer at the same time? Lewis did. He woke up at four every morning and started studying. His room was lined with textbooks, notebooks, and a pair of dirt-stained sneakers hung on the wall. His mom, Marcia, kept telling him, “Studying is the bottom line of your life; soccer is your dream.”

He’s been in school for four years, and his life is packed: classes in the morning, training in the afternoon, and then he comes home at night and has to do his homework and go to bed. While others his age might be playing on their cell phones or going to parties, he was reviewing for exams. Once, he stayed in a hotel with his teammates, and they used a tactical board in their room as a sketch pad to talk about soccer tactics while studying math.

He said, “My life as a kid was simple: play soccer, study and sleep. Although it sounds a bit boring, I never regretted it because I knew I was building a foundation for the future.”

2. Facing the world’s top players on the field for the first time

On a September day in 2023, 17-year-old Lewis made his Premier League debut. The game was played at the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City. Arsenal were already a player short at the time and things were tense. But instead of backing down, he bravely stepped onto the field.

Who was the opponent? It was superstars like Harland and De Bruyne. But Lewis wasn’t afraid at all. He wore a pair of glasses and looked like he had just come out of class, but he had actually studied the game thoroughly. He ran, intercepted and passed the ball on the field, and every step was as precise as if it had been planned in advance.

After the game he said, “I touched the yellow card reminder card in my pocket before I went on the field, but I wasn’t nervous at all, it was just like a normal test.” It was a game that won him the hearts of the fans and the approval of his coach. Mertesacker, Arsenal’s head of youth training, said, “Lewis has shown us that young players can do great things, the key is whether you are disciplined enough and smart enough.”

3. Positions have changed many times, but he’s adapted to them all

A lot of people think Lewis is a left back, but he didn’t actually start out playing that position. As a kid he played center midfield in youth camp and then center back in school games. It wasn’t until he was moved to left back that he really found his stage.

He himself says: “Modern soccer needs players who know how to observe and think. For me, playing left back is like writing a poem, every kick has to have rhythm and meaning.” His ability to not only stand up for himself on defense, but also to quickly step in and assist on offense, and this all-around ability makes him an important part of the team.

4, Mom is his biggest supporter

Lewis’ success could not have been achieved without his mom, Marcia. She not only takes care of his daily life, but also founded a platform called “No1Fan.club”, which is dedicated to helping families with children who play soccer. She says, “Soccer is a flash in the pan, but education is something that stays with you for the rest of your life.”

Lewis is also grateful for his mother’s support. He often returned to his former academy to share his experience with the younger players. He would teach them how to use Excel sheets to plan their training time and study time, telling them, “Playing soccer is not a reason to keep you out of school, it’s a motivation to work harder.”

5. His Future is Full of Possibilities

Right now, Lewis is just 18 years old and his career is just beginning. As he prepares for his AS-Level Spanish exams, he’s also looking at business course notes, which are even laced with match analysis material on some opposition players. He could become a member of the England national team, continue to play well at Arsenal, or even enter the business world in the future.

His growth story tells us that true talent is not something you are born with, but something you accumulate step by step through continuous hard work, persistent learning and staying focused. He uses knowledge to arm his mind and soccer to exercise his will, showing a new image of “soccer man”.

6. Conclusion: He is not just a player, but a role model!

Lewis’s story is not only a soccer player’s growth process, but also a kind of spiritual embodiment. He teaches us that success never comes by luck, but by hard work and perseverance every day.

He can read quietly in the library or run hard on the green field. He tells us with practical actions: no matter what you want to do, as long as you are willing to pay, you will be able to go farther.

Maybe one day, when people talk about the “Gunners’ Spirit”, they will think of this young man who loves to play soccer as well as study. Because he proved: soccer is not only a competition, it can also be a kind of love of life attitude.