Henri Lansbury

England Under 19 captain Henri, is the longest severing member of the playing staff at Arsenal, having been with the club since he was 9. he returned to Arsenal in the summer of 2009 after spending three months on loan with Scunthorpe United.

An intelligent, strong, classy and composed central midfielder, Lansbury was named among the substitutes during the 6-3 romp over Liverpool in the Carling Cup aged just 16. He has continued to build on those foundations, taking part from the bench against Sheffield United a year later.

It’s been his form for the Reserves that has seen his stock rise, despite playing alongside often experienced Premiership players, Henri can boss the midfield all on his own. His box-to-box energetic style, coupled with an fantastic goal scoring ratio add up to a perfect midfield combination. But like everything good, something has prevented him from reaching his full potential – injuries.

Niggling foot problems throughout his scholarship years have seen him miss handfuls of fixtures. But things got even worse in 2007 when Glandular Fever took hold after the Youth Cup game against Burnley where Lansbury scored a hat-trick. He missed 9 months but finally returned ahead of the 2008-2009 season.

After penning professional forms, he was back in the first-team fold. A start against Barnet during pre-season was coupled with appearances on tour versus Szombathelyi Haladás and Burgenland. He then completed his first 90 minutes since returning during the Boreham Wood friendly.

Lansbury began the Reserves campaign on the right wing but slowly managed to force his way back inside. The wing was also the place where he had to play in the F.A Youth Cup. After breezing past Aston Villa and Wolves, Henri scored two penalties to help send Sunderland packing. But instead of helping his team win the competition, he joined Scunthorpe United a day later.

4 goals in 16 games plus a trip to Wembley to play in the Johnson’s Paint Trophy meant the spell was hugely successful. His performances helped The Iron gain promotion to the Championship, earning him massive applause.

But his season wasn’t over yet. Henri returned in time to start both legs of the F.A Youth Cup final and ultimately, win the trophy. He also started as the Gunners won the Premier Academy League. It was the perfect season for the youngster who also made a handful of Carling Cup appearances.

Name: Henri Lansbury
Nickname: ‘None’
Age: 18
Nationality: English
International: Yes (Under 19)
Position: Central Midfield/Right Midfield
Height: 183cm
Previous Clubs: Scunthorpe United (Loan)
Contract : Professional