10 months ago
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NATHAN TELLA once beat Brooklyn Beckham to an Arsenal scholarship.
Now the former Gunner is helping Bayer Leverkusen close in on an historic Bundesliga title.
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GettyBut the journey to the top of the table in Germany has been far from smooth for Tella.
The Stevenage-born winger signed scholar’s terms with Arsenal in 2015 when he was 15, with Brooklyn, the oldest son of David and Victoria Beckham, among those to miss out.
Just two years later, however, Tella’s 10-year stay at Arsenal also came to an end.
An injury at the start of the 2016/17 season cost him his place in the Gunners’ under-18 side.
And competition from the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson for positions out wide led to the club telling Tella that he would not be offered a professional deal.
So the youngster moved to Southampton where, after steady progress through the ranks, he made his first-team debut against Norwich in June 2020 during the Covid-19-interrupted season.
Tella seemed to have made his breakthrough in the second half of 2020/1 campaign and signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal at St Mary’s in January 2022.
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But the following summer he was sent on loan to Championship side Burnley.
And in a sensational reversal of fortune, Tella had a stellar season as the Clarets and the Saints swapped divisions.
Tella was named in the Championship Team of the Season after finishing top scorer for Vincent Kompany’s side, with 17 goals in 39 league appearances, as they returned to the top flight as champions.
After Burnley confirmed promotion, Tella said: “It’s been my favourite season.
“I’ve learnt so much from the boys and the team and the staff and playing in front of these fans and it’s meant a lot to me.
“I’m just happy that we were able to bring home the silverware and do it for them.”
But Tella is on the verge of having an even better season with Leverkusen.
He was hugely popular at Southampton and the club was hoping and expecting him to be part of new boss Russell Martin’s new-lookd side.
But when Leverkusen came in with a bid worth a reported £20m, it was too good for the Saints to turn down and Tella leapt at the chance to try his luck in Germany.
GettyAnother new arrival at Leverkusen helped the 24-year-old settle in to his new life – former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka.
Tella said: “When he left Arsenal in the summer it really upset me as a fan of the club.
“He was incredibly important to the team. Then suddenly playing alongside him four weeks later – crazy! That was a fast emotional change for me.
“He really helped me a lot from my first day and told me all about the team and the players.
“His approach and that of the other lads made it easy for me to quickly feel at home in this new environment and I haven’t regretted taking this big step.”
Tella initially struggled for game time in the Bundesliga but featured in all six of the club’s Europa League group games and earned a first senior call-up from Nigeria.
AFPLeverkusen boss Xabi Alonso said: “Nathan is a player that has the ability to just do the right thing, be in the right place,” Alonso said.
“He has the quality to be in the box and makes the right runs.”
Tella missed out on Nigeria’s squad for the recent African Cup of Nations.
But in recent weeks he has made an impact in Leverkusen’s quest for a first ever German title.
Tella has scored three goals in his last four Bundesliga games and produced an assist in the convincing 3-0 win over closest rivals Bayern Munich at the weekend.
Alonso, whose side are five points clear of Bayern with 13 games to go, said: “Nathan is getting better every game.
“His talent creates problems for any defence and he is so important to how we play.”
Axed by Arsenal, saved by Southampton, boosted by Burnley and now loving it with Leverkusen – Tella’s road to the top is a lesson in perseverance and self-belief.
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