The 17-year-old winger has already featured in Mikel Arteta's matchday squad on numerous occasions after impressing for the Gunners' academy teams
The long line of Arsenal success stories to emerge from the club’s Hale End academy has been well documented. From Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, who are currently starring for Mikel Arteta’s first-team in north London, to Joe Willock and Alex Iwobi, who are forging excellent careers for themselves elsewhere, the list just goes on and on.
And the most exciting thing for the Gunners is that conveyor belt of talent from the academy is showing no sign of slowing up just yet.
In fact, scratch beneath the surface at Arsenal right now and there are several talented youngsters just waiting to come through to be the next big star.
And perhaps the brightest of them all is Amario Cozier-Duberry, the 17-year-old winger who has been in sensational form for Arsenal’s youth teams this season.
Here, NXGN takes a closer look at yet another Hale End sensation…
Where it all began
Cozier-Duberry was born in London and grew up as an Arsenal fan. Football was always a big part of his life, whether it be playing for his school side or with his Sunday League team, Chettle Court Rangers FC.
He spent five years with Chettle Court, from Under-11s through to the Under-15s, before being offered a trial by Arsenal.
“I was excited because I supported Arsenal and I could have never thought I’d have the opportunity to play for my boyhood club,” Cozier-Duberry said, while discussing his journey so far with the Arsenal matchday programme.
”However, I was also nervous as I had been on trials at other teams around London and they never took me in.”
But there was no reason for Cozier-Duberry to be nervous. He starred during his 10-week trial, and after scoring a fine goal during a win against Colchester United in the Floodlit Cup, Arsenal told the young forward that they wanted to sign him.
He went on to spend the next two years at Hale End before receiving his scholarship with the U18s and progressing to London Colney.
AdvertisementThe big break
Cozier-Duberry is still waiting for his competitive senior debut for Arsenal, but he has appeared in the first-team squad three times in recent months.
He travelled with the senior squad for the recent warm weather training camp in Dubai and made a couple of eye-catching cameos as Arteta’s side beat Lyon and AC Milan to win the Dubai Super Cup.
The winger then came off the bench to make his first ever appearance at Emirates Stadium in Arsenal’s final warm-up game ahead of the return of the Premier League in December.
Arteta’s side were beaten 2-0 by Juventus, but Cozier-Duberry immediately caught the eye.
“Making my home debut was a dream come true,” he said. “It’s something only a few ever get to do and to do it against Juventus, a team with a massive history, is a moment I’ll never forget.
“I was so nervous beforehand, my feet were numb, but as I stepped on the pitch, I made a few decent passes which helped.
“Hearing my name through the speaker, the fans cheering, and having my family and friends there who have been so supportive of me, was so wonderful. “
How it's going
Aside from dipping his toes into the first-team picture, Cozier-Duberry has been one of the stand out performers this season as Arsenal’s U18s have progressed through to the latter rounds of the FA Youth Cup.
He scored twice during a thrilling 4-2 win against Watford, when Jack Wilshere’s young side fought back from two goals down at half-time to book their spot in the quarter-finals.
And that followed on from the goal Cozier-Duberry scored in the 3-2 success at Newcastle United in the previous round.
This has certainly been a breakthrough season for the 17-year-old, who has featured heavily for the U21s, scoring three goals so far and contributing a further three assists in 13 Premier League 2 appearances.
Add those performances to his heroics in the Youth Cup so far and you can see why Arteta is keen to have the young winger around the first-team set-up.
He was on the bench for Arsenal's Premier League games against Everton and Brentford in February, and while he has yet to actually get on the pitch, his competitive senior debut only feels like a matter of time.
Biggest strengths
There’s no doubt that Cozier-Duberry’s biggest strength is his ability to run with the ball at pace. His low centre of gravity makes it very difficult for defenders to get the ball off him, and his touch and technique ensures he is a real threat whenever he is in possession.
His preferred position is on the right-hand side of attack, where he likes to cut inside on his left foot and get shots away, but he can also operate on the opposite flank if needed.
Like many young wingers, he has played at full-back at times, but his strength is clearly in attack, as he has showcased so impressively this season, whether that be with the U18s, U21s or with the first team.