Arsenal announce signing of England youth international – four months after Rangers release

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Arsenal have signed former Rangers starlet Archie Stevens following his trial period in north London.The 19-year-old has joined the Gunners just four months after he left Rangers at the end of his contract.Stevens has joined Arsenal as an England youth internationalGettyStevens made one senior appearance for the Glaswegian giants, which came in Scottish League Cup last-16 clash against Queen of the South during the 2022/23 campaign.He spent the second half of last season on loan with Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Championship before his Rangers exit.The winger will now play for the Arsenal U21s having impressed the Premier League side on trial.“Since Archie has been with us, he has really impressed as a person and player,” academy manager and ex-defender Per Mertesacker said.“He has fit into our environment seamlessly and has been really impressive in matches and in training. Archie has absolutely earned this next stage in his career with his professional contract with us.“We welcome Archie to our Academy and are all looking forward to working with him in his continued development.”Stevens, who has featured three times for the England U18s, played in pre-season friendlies against Chelmsford City and Monaco II.“My first game was against Chelmsford in pre-season, I think I gave a good account of myself,” he explained.“Then we had the Monaco game out in France, which was a great opportunity. I came on in the last 30 minutes, so I wanted to make an impact. “I saw the ball come to me in quite a wide area, but I thought I need to get something away, whether it’s a shot or a pass and I went for goal.”Stevens spent three years in the Rangers academyGettyStevens added: “I can’t wait to show what I can do.“Obviously, it’s such a massive club, so it’s a dream come true to be here, I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”Stevens could join Hale End graduatesA move to the Arsenal academy could help deliver a successful breakthrough into top-level football for Stevens.The youth set-up, which is known as Hale End, has seen a number of young talents make their way into the proffesional game.Ashley Cole and Cesc Fabregas are among the most talented graduates, as well as talkSPORT’s very own Ray Parlour.More recently, Bukayo Saka thrived in the academy before his move to the first-team, for whom he has scored 71 goals and assisted 72.Saka is a prime example of the talent that Arsenal can produce at Hale EndGettyEthan Nwaneri has also made the successful leap and became the youngest ever Premier League player in 2022, aged 15.Max Dowman went second behind Nwaneri earlier this season when he came off the bench in Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Leeds United.He also made his debut at 15-years-old, with Arsenal continuing to show faith in young talent.Stevens could be the next standout starlet, but it remains to be seen whether he makes his debut in the Carabao Cup third round against Port Vale on September 24.