People walk by and look as two artists finish up a new Bukayo Saka mural on the wall of a fried chicken shop in north London.
A lot of people use their phones to take shots, and some people point. Whether you like football or not, Saka is a name that everyone in Highbury and Islington knows.
Racist comments were made about him, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho on social media after they missed penalties in England’s loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. People in this area still remember those comments.
Mail Sport said in August that the Arsenal player was the one who got the most serious internet abuse at Euro 2024.
On the streets, though, the winger—who helped set up Arsenal’s winning goal in their north London derby win over Tottenham on Sunday—is theirs and the love for him goes beyond the nearby shops and his childhood home in Greenford, west London.
The painting was approved by Arsenal’s official fabric care partner, Persil, and was started and finished last month to a lot of attention.
It happens often. In support of Saka, Rashford, and Sancho, a mural was revealed in Manchester right after the Euros 2020 final. The mural shows the three stars.
Saka has also been highly marketed in recent years because he is liked by everyone. In March, the player made his own Nando sauce and called it “Saka Sauce.” In August 2021, New Balance put up a painting with his picture called “Little Chilli Brings Heat.”
He has built a bond with the people that goes beyond football. The 23-year-old gets a lot of goals and wins games, but it’s not just about what he does on the pitch.
This is what Saka’s old friends on Melrose Close say. He was born in London to Adenike, a Nigerian accountant, and Yomi, a Nigerian farmer. He played football outside with his bigger brother Abayomi.
“My nephew broke their family car window playing football!” says a friend. It didn’t bother them; they were a nice family.
The four-bedroom semi-detached house where Saka grew up is now home to Hassan Chichan, a 19-year-old college student.
“As soon as we moved in, we knew Saka had lived here,” he says. It’s interesting how regular people from regular lives can become famous.
It gives people hope that if they work hard enough, they can have a good future. Mohammed Al-Khatib, a 48-year-old Uber driver in the neighborhood, has happy memories of the Sakas.
It makes him feel good, and he thinks our house is worth more because of him. “I knew his dad, and he was a great person.”
The journey began when he was eight years old at Arsenal’s Hale End school. People in the club say that he stood out even though he was so young because he was so determined.
He liked to be the roughest player on the pitch and was always trying to beat his teammates in strength or speed games.
He was also very driven, which came from his parents and showed in both sports and school—Saka got four A*s and three As in his GCSEs.
He started working with the men’s first team when he was 15 years old. It was clear he was talented, and he was expected to one day play at the Emirates.
It is said that he is open to academy players like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly working with the first team. This is because he went through the academy.
Sacha is only 23 years old, but after 174 games, he has become a star on the team. His strict side may come as a surprise to some because he is friendly and polite.
It is his spirit that shines through the most. His Arsenal coworkers and English coworkers both like him a lot.
