If any of our 12 academy players currently on tour need extra inspiration to make their mark Stateside, they'd be well placed to ask Eddie Nketiah for advice.

While we await the return of several international stars, Mikel Arteta may be tempted to see what the next generation can do in our friendly against Bournemouth on Wednesday night. And Eddie has a simple message for anyone who gets the chance - seize it.

That's exactly what he did just seven years ago on his first pre-season trip, when Arsene Wenger took his players to Australia and China. That was where Eddie got his maiden first-team minutes, making three substitute appearances - and more importantly an impression. A few months later he was handed his professional debut by our iconic manager.

It proves that pre-season matches matter, and while the dozen youngsters rubbing shoulders with the established stars may get the occasional butterflies in their stomachs training, playing and living with the first-teamers throughout the tour, Eddie is keen to recall being in their shoes to encourage them to follow in his footsteps.

"Pre-season is really good for a lot of the lads who haven't trained or played with us that much to show what they can do," he said. "It gives people opportunities to show themselves and get fit, so hopefully they can take them.

"It's a platform, even for us now, to make our mark and start playing games regularly and get fit. I think there are a lot of examples of players who did well in pre-season and gone on to play and have minutes in the first team, so it's a really good chance.

"I know what it's like for the young kids coming through so I'm just trying to make them feel as comfortable as possible. We have a really good group of guys, everyone is really nice and welcoming and tries to make everyone feel good.

'I think the coaches do a really good job too - at dinner, they mix up the tables so everyone sits with different people and can interact, and the team activities we do allow you to get closer. You're spending more time together, and you don't have the escape of going back home or to your family, so you mix and socialise a lot more which is really nice."

Looking back on those experiences in the Far East in 2017, Eddie smiles. It was a reward for some superb goalscoring at academy level, and he got to travel with some of his closest mates from Hale End too.

But he admits he gained so much more than his three sub appearances and the chance to say he played with some quality Arsenal players - he got a taste of what life at the top was like, and what he would have to do to remain there.

"It was amazing," he reflected. "It was a really talented squad at the time. I was young but me, Joe [Willock] and Reiss [Nelson] were together so it was amazing. To have that first taste of senior football was a really good experience.

"You're nervous, excited and eager. You just want to make your mark and enjoy it. I think it's really good when you go away because you can see how the top players work on a day-to-day basis. That's what I was able to see - how they recover from training sessions, how they prepare for the games up close. It shows you the level you need to get to and allows you to keep progressing."

Our upcoming game against Bournemouth will also stir up fond memories for Eddie, as back in 2019 on our last visit to Dignity Health Sports Park, he popped up with an 88th-minute winner to beat German giants Bayern Munich.

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Three days later, he followed that up with a brace against Fiorentina in North Carolina, and he admits he felt those goals on that trip helped him - and crucially his teammates - believe he was capable of remaining at that level.

When asked about returning to a favourite haunt, Eddie laughed. "I didn't know it was the same stadium to be honest! But it was a really nice experience getting the win against Bayern.

"I was able to show that I was able to do well, especially against such big teams with big history. You just want to show that you can compete at this level, make your mark and contribute, which is what I did.

"I think the team start to believe and trust in you more when you show what you can do, so pre-season is a great opportunity for the young players to showcase and gain trust from the manager and the players, which is important."

And that's exactly what 12 young Gunners will be hoping to emulate over the coming days, as they hope to fulfil their own American dreams by kickstarting their Arsenal careers.

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