Gabriel Martinelli

Life can change in the blink of an eye for some. The young Brazilian winger has gone from playing in the Brazilian fourth division to English giants Arsenal, one of the biggest football clubs in the world. Riding airplanes is just one of the perks of playing for the Gunners!

Born in Guarulhos, São Paulo, he started his career in 2010, playing for Corinthians' futsal team. In 2015, after having trails at Manchester United and FC Barcelona, he moved to Campeonato Paulista club Ituano Sociedade Civil de Futebol Ltda. On 4 November 2017, the teenager signed his first professional contract, a five-year deal which kept him tied to the club till October 2022. He made his professional debut on 17 March 2018, coming on as a late substitute in a 2–1 away win, making him the youngest player ever to debut for Ituano FC at the age of 16 years and nine months. On 8 September 2018, the winger scored his first senior goal, netting Ituano's second in a 4–1 away routing of Taboão da Serra, for the year's Copa Paulista. Promoted to the first team for the 2019 Campeonato Paulista, he scored six goals during the competition, and finished as the club's top goalscorer as they reached the quarterfinals. On 2 July 2019, the Brazilian signed a long term contract with English Premier League club Arsenal, and scored a goal on his non-competitive debut in a 3-0 victory against Colorado Rapids. On 11 August 2019, the man from São Paolo made his Premier League debut, coming on in the 84th minute as a substitute for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, as Arsenal won 1-0 against Newcastle United.