Horseman excited to get going as under-21s head coach

New under-21s head coach David Horseman described taking on his new position as an honour and is ready to aim high during the 2026/27 campaign.

David joined us last season as an Elite Player Development Coach, taking charge of games in the UEFA Youth League and Vertu Trophy.

Stepping into his new position, which will also see him take charge of Premier League 2 matches, David is excited to attack every game as we look to go deep in all competitions.

"I think what's really important is that we want to win every game," Horseman said. "We'll try to win every game because we're Arsenal. The one thing you learn when you're in a club like Arsenal, and I was fortunate enough to be at Man Utd before, the weight of the badge is an expectation of not just performing well, but actually winning.

"We've got good players and good systems; we're an enormous club with a proud history of an academy.

"So we want to progress. We've never progressed out of the league phase of the Youth League, and not gone far in the competition in a long time. We want to progress this year and give it a good go. We think we have a strong enough squad to really go for it."

Our Premier League 2 campaign gets underway at home to Crystal Palace before facing the defending PL2 champions Brighton.

Last season we reached the playoffs, going out to Manchester City and ahead of the new campaign, Horseman is excited to work with our talented youngsters.

"I've been really fortunate," he said. "I get to watch and learn from the best in terms of coaches, staff and players. The attitude we have amongst our group is absolutely top; I couldn't have higher praise for them.

"Our fixture list is very exciting. We've got a big first three games against Palace, Brighton and Chelsea. We also have the north London derby again this year, which is great news. I think the team will settle as the season goes on. There will be plenty of ups and downs but that's something I know our boys will relish."

David believes his year within the club has helped give him the best chance of succeeding at under-21s level.

Helping him succeed are a group of Hale End starlets who have shone in the first team this pre-season. The likes of Ceadach O'Neill, Theo Julienne, Ife Ibrahim and Demiane Agustien have all featured in Mikel Arteta's team, and Horseman is confident that first team exposure can only benefit his squad.

He said: "Our academy players are some of the luckiest in the world, they get to train and learn alongside the best team in the Premier League.

"What I saw from our boys in pre-season filled me with immense pride. In one game we had eight or so Hale End players all on the pitch at the same time.

"When they've come back to our training, they've been phenomenal. We know players will go into the first team regularly; we just need to make sure that when we are together, we have a close unit and are ready to tackle every challenge.

"Our job is not only to win games but also to produce the best possible players for our first team.