One of Arsenal's brightest prospects, Serge Gnabry is waiting in the wings to become the Gunners' next big thing, so we did some digging to find out a bit more about a player who used to pretend to be Zinedine Zidane in the school playground.
THE NITTY GRITTY
Name: Serge Gnabry
Position: Midfield
Club: Arsenal
Date of birth: 14/07/95
Place of birth: Stuttgart, Germany
NEED TO KNOW
Fast, strong and has an eye for goal, the young midfielder looks set to develop into a class act for the Gunners. Signed ahead of the current 2011/12 season, he can play on the wings and through the middle behind the strikers.
International honours: Germany U16 and U17
FIVE FACTS
1) Born in Stuttgart to a German mother and Ivorian father, Gnabry played and shone for local youth sides before his father allowed him to join Stuttgart's U13 team, having turned them down previously because he wanted his son to develop away from pro academies.
2) He was a very promising young sprinter, competing around Germany at athletics meetings. "I never lost a race," Gnabry told the official Arsenal website, "but it came to a point where I had to make a choice between athletics and football."
3) Gnabry won Player of the Tournament at the 2010 Nike Cup, which his Stuttgart side won, prompting the Gunners to offer him a week-long trial with their U16 side. He was snapped up, but had to wait until he turned 16 in July 2011 before moving to England.
4) After going on to star for Arsenal's U18 side, Gnabry was included in Neil Banfield's reserve team for matches against Chelsea in March 2012. He then played against West Brom reserves and scored against the Baggies when lining up alongside Johan Djourou, Andre Santos and Marouane Chamakh.
5) Before signing for Arsenal, Gnabry courted interest from Man City, but while he chose North London over a club that's become known for poaching Gunners, there could be another familiar foe for Gooners to beware, because the young German supported Barcelona as a kid.
WHAT'S BEEN SAID
He says:
“I have a good shot. I practice my shooting a lot and if the shot is on because of the opening and the 'keeper is positioned in a way where there is a chance, I am not afraid to shoot.”