Young Gun: Charles Sagoe Jr

Our Young Gun series gets to know the academy youngsters kicking off their careers at Sobha Realty Training Centre.

Charles Sagoe Jr spoke to us recently, and here's what he had to say about a season in which he has learned and developed various aspects of his game.

Firstly, I had the opportunity to sign a contract extension with Arsenal, which was, of course, fantastic. It’s always a great experience to extend my stay at the club, and I’m grateful that they still see something in me. 

Then I enjoyed training with the first-team in pre-season and had the chance to go on the US tour. It was my first pre-season trip, and it was a fantastic opportunity. Training with the first team is always intense – you have to be at a high standard and keep up with the tempo. It was great to get some minutes against Bournemouth in Los Angeles, and I enjoyed it. I was living in the moment, and it was a very positive experience, so I’m grateful to have been a part of it. While we were out there, we had a lot of off-field activities to bond with each other – some of the players spent time on the PlayStation, others played table tennis. Naturally, you might feel a bit nervous in that environment, but the squad integrated us well into everything. 

After that, I went on loan to Shrewsbury with high expectations, hoping to step into a men’s environment and make a name for myself. I tried my best to hit the ground running, but it just wasn’t meant to be. It was quite stop-start, and I didn’t play as much as I’d hoped. However, I took a lot of lessons from the experience – the same as I did with my loan at Swansea in 2023/24 – about how tough football can be, both mentally and physically, especially when the team isn’t performing well. I definitely feel like I could have done better, but I’ll take those learnings forward. Off the pitch, I had an enjoyable time – my teammates, the coaching staff, and the fans made me feel welcome and took me in as one of their own. Even though we didn’t get the results we wanted, it was still a great experience.

The main challenge of stepping up from academy football to League One is the intensity! The game is much quicker, and you always have to be thinking, especially out of possession. When you’re on the ball, you don’t have much time to make decisions because the opposition is on you straight away. You also have to be clinical – games are often decided by fine margins, and if you don’t take your chances, you’ll get punished. It’s physically demanding, with a lot of set-pieces, and you have to be switched on at all times. 

My favourite ground to play at was Wrexham’s – the atmosphere was unreal! There’s a bit of a rivalry between Wrexham and Shrewsbury, so it was a mad game. We lost, but I’d never experienced an atmosphere like that before. The toughest team we faced was Birmingham City – they’re one of the strongest teams in the league, dominate possession, and make it really difficult for you. When we played Charlton, I came up against Kayne Ramsey at full back, and he was a really tough opponent.

"Making my first-team debut was an incredible experience and I'm so thankful for it"

My first loan at Swansea in January 2024 happened very quickly – it was a deadlineday move. I had to go home, pack my things, and get to Swansea, so it was quite hectic. Moving away from home isn’t too difficult for me, though – I’ve been used to it since I was 16 when I was living in digs as a first-year scholar. I stay in close contact with my family, which makes it easier. Swansea was tough because I didn’t play as much as I’d have liked. For any player, at any level, not playing is difficult – it can be demotivating when you’ve put in a strong week of training and still don’t get picked. But I’m a professional, so I always give my best and believe that my opportunity will come. 

Making my first-team debut for Arsenal away at Brentford last season was an incredible experience, and I’m so thankful for it. The day before the game, I was in a first-team session when Fabio Vieira limped off injured. Mikel asked me to fill in at right wing for the rest of the session, and afterwards, he pulled me and Ben White aside to walk us through different movements – how I should receive the ball from the full back and what runs to make. In my head, I was wondering whether he was preparing me to play or just giving me pointers for my development. Later that evening, I found out on WhatsApp that I’d be in the matchday squad, and the next day, when I walked into the team meeting, I saw my name in the starting XI. My heart was racing – I couldn’t believe I was about to start for Arsenal’s first team. There were so many emotions going through my head, but I made sure to stay focused and composed during the tactical analysis. 

By the time we got to the hotel, the excitement really kicked in. I told my family, and they came to watch the game. Stepping onto the pitch was a dream come true – as a kid, I grew up supporting Arsenal, so to be out there in an Arsenal shirt was unreal. I’m grateful to God and to Mikel for giving me the opportunity to play at the Gtech Community Stadium and to get around 70 minutes under my belt. On the pitch, I had the support of my fellow Hale End graduates – Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe, and Eddie Nketiah – while Jorginho and Ben White were brilliant in communicating with me throughout. We won the game and progressed to the next round, which made the night even more special for me. 

Now that I’m back with the under-21s, my goal for the rest of the season is to play as much as possible and contribute to the team. I want us to go on a deep play-off run in April and hopefully pick up some silverware. From a long-term perspective, I want to establish myself – whether that’s out on loan or in a first-team environment – to get my name out there and show people what I can do. Wherever I play, I just want to score and assist as much as possible, improve my game, and help my team.