England under-21 manager Lee Carsley has commended the “excellent attitude” of Myles Lewis-Skelly and expressed confidence that he can make a significant contribution with Arsenal if given the opportunity this season.
Lewis-Skelly debuted for the senior squad under Thomas Tuchel in 2025 and subsequently earned six full caps, but opted to join Carsley’s group for this month’s international camp due to limited starts at the club level.
Following Lewis-Skelly’s first appearance for the under-21s in Friday’s 1-1 draw against Andorra, the 19-year-old is expected to receive another chance on Tuesday in a European Championship qualifier versus Moldova at Carrow Road.
“He has demonstrated such a great attitude, and it has truly benefited him this week to play minutes and train at a high level,” Carsley remarked regarding Lewis-Skelly.
“That’s one of the qualities we always seek in the [senior] players, and I think of Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento, Rico [Lewis]. Many players have taken this path, so Myles is not alone in this regard.
“We assess attitude and the eagerness to play, and he was genuinely excited about joining the under-21s. He views this as a potential pathway to gaining minutes and possibly playing for Arsenal and then England.
“He experienced such a rapid ascent, and this is football. Ups and downs are part of the game, but he has responded positively during this camp.”
Carsley is confident that Lewis-Skelly will be better prepared to respond to any call from Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta in the upcoming two months after this time with the under-21s.
He added: “You can train as much as you like, but nothing compares to match minutes where you are competing against others and experiencing the intensity of it.
“Now that he has potentially played a lot of minutes for England, he is in a strong position where, if he is called upon or given a chance, he is ready to perform. He doesn’t [now] require one or two games, which are hard to come by at that level, to settle in.”
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England will be missing Genoa defender Brooke Norton-Cuffy against Moldova due to a hamstring injury, but Tottenham midfielder Archie Gray is set for playing time after being rested for Friday’s unexpected 1-1 draw with Andorra.
“It was a unique experience in Andorra. The number of times our players will compete on a plastic pitch in minus five degrees during a hurricane is likely to be rare, but it’s an excellent experience,” Carsley stated.
“These teams are highly motivated to defeat England, and we must match that energy and enthusiasm.”
