Scottish starlet compared to ex-Liverpool ace following cup debut after making big impression on EPL boss

The 16-year-old came off the bench in last night’s 2-1 EFL Trophy Southern Group win over Newport County, replacing Joshua Joel Marcel Nichols for the final minutes of the tie, having made a major impression in his first few weeks at Arsenal’s academy, where he has already earned comparisons to a former Liverpool superstar.

The right-back was snapped up by the Gunners in the summer for an undisclosed fee from St Johnstone after impressing scouts, and joined the English Premier League giants' scholarship intake ahead of the current campaign. Hamill, who doesn’t turn 17 until early next year, is viewed as one of Scotland’s brightest young talents, having already made his senior debut for the Saints under Simo Valakari last season.

Upon the move, Hammil said, “I can’t thank the club enough for everything they have done for me. A special thank you goes to Alistair Stevenson and all of the coaches who have helped me to become the player I am today. The club ensured I was always being challenged and pushed me to be the best that I could, even playing me in older age groups. I’ll miss the boys and the staff because they have been a huge part of my journey at Saints.”

He has recently captained the North London club’s under-18 side against Chelsea, before moving up an age group to play for the club’s under-19 team against Atletico Bilbao in the UEFA Youth League. Having impressed head coach Mikel Arteta with his performances, the Scottish youngster was also given the chance to train with Arsenal's first team last week, where he shared the Colney training pitch with international superstars such as Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Viktor Gyokeres.

The ex-St Johnstone talent’s long-range passing ability, versatility, and leadership have already earned him comparisons to former Liverpool title winner and current Real Madrid full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. Scout Ben Mattinson claimed that Hamill possesses “Alexander-Arnold-like vision” following the Gunners’ under-16 squad’s Flamengo Cup victory in the summer. Prominent Arsenal academy blog ‘Jeorge Bird’s Arsenal Youth’ also echoed this sentiment, claiming the 16-year-old has qualities that mirror the England and Real Madrid star.

The young midfielder took to social media himself to mark the occasion, writing on Instagram: “Top win in the cup, delighted to make my debut for the under-21s.” Hammill has been capped regularly by Scotland at all youth levels up to under-17, and will hope to be upgraded to the under-19 squad earlier next month for the European Championship qualifying double header against Latvia and Lithuania.

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