Friday 28 April 2017 23:54, UK
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has praised defender Rob Holding, insisting he is a future England international.
Holding returned to the Gunners' starting line-up for the Premier League victory over Middlesbrough before keeping his place for the FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City at Wembley last weekend.
The England U21 international, who moved to the Emirates Stadium from Bolton last summer for £2m, has impressed as part of Arsenal's new-look three-man defence and Wenger has tipped the 21-year-old for a bright future.
"Rob Holding is a promising defender, with a great future for England," Wenger told Sky Sports. "He's intelligent, and very shrewd to analyse after the game.
"You make him analyse, and I always feel that a common trait with all the great players I have met in my life is that if you ask them how they played, they tell you accurately what happened, with the mistakes they made too.
"You always think they have a chance, he does that extremely well," he added.
"I would say there is a potential that he could be one of those gems, I will follow his career for the future, because I think he will be an England international."
Arsenal have won three straight games following the switch to 3-4-3 and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is another player to have benefited from the new formation.
The 23-year-old, deployed in a right wing-back position, put in energetic displays against Middlesbrough and Manchester City, earning praise from his manager.
"Oxlade-Chamberlain at the moment I think looks like he has found the position that suits him well, where he can use his technical ability and power," Wenger added. "When he faces the game, his penetration and power is extremely good.
"Overall he looks to enjoy it."