Charles Sagoe Jr., a Ghanaian forward who was born in England, has been thinking back on his Arsenal debut.

The 20-year-old striker made his senior debut for Arsenal against Brentford in the Carabao Cup on September 27, 2023. In the Cup competitions, he started as the Gunners overcame the Bees 1-0.

Since then, Sagoe Jr. has played on loan at Swansea and Shrewsbury Town as part of his development.

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“Making my first-team debut for Arsenal away at Brentford last season was an incredible experience, and I’m so thankful for it,” he stated to the reporters.

“The day before the game, I was in a first-team session when Fabio Vieira limped off injured. Mikel asked me to fill in at right wing for the rest of the session, and afterwards, he pulled me and Ben White aside to walk us through different movements – how I should receive the ball from the full back and what runs to make.

“In my head, I was wondering whether he was preparing me to play or just giving me pointers for my development. Later that evening, I found out on WhatsApp that I’d be in the matchday squad, and the next day, when I walked into the team meeting, I saw my name in the starting XI. My heart was racing – I couldn’t believe I was about to start for Arsenal’s first team. There were so many emotions going through my head, but I made sure to stay focused and composed during the tactical analysis,” he said.

Sagoe Jr also shared the moment with his Ghanaian parent, who were at the Gtech Stadium to support their son.

He continued: “By the time we got to the hotel, the excitement really kicked in. I told my family, and they came to watch the game. Stepping onto the pitch was a dream come true – as a kid, I grew up supporting Arsenal, so to be out there in an Arsenal shirt was unreal. “

Declan Rice’s masterful free-kicking put Arsenal within striking reach of a spot in the semi-finals as the Gunners swept to a 3-0 victory over Champions League winners Real Madrid.

Rice scored two spectacular free kicks in the second half of the first leg of the quarterfinal at the Emirates Stadium.

In the final moments, Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid was sent off for kicking the ball away, leaving the Spanish powerhouses in ruins after Mikel Merino added Arsenal’s third goal.

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Even Real keeper Thibaut Courtois, who is always so inspired on Champions League evenings, was unable to come close to the England midfielder’s thunderbolts, demonstrating the incomparable skill of Rice’s brace.

Amazingly, prior to the first of his rockets striking the back of the Real net, Rice had never scored a free-kick in his career.

It was exactly what Arsenal deserved with a mature performance that brutally exposed Real Madrid, who were plagued by injuries.

Mikel Arteta’s men will travel to the Bernabeu for the second leg on April 16 as firm favourites to advance to a semi-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa, who meet in their quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

The Gunners have not reached the Champions League semi-finals since 2009, but that target is now within their grasp after an evening that will go down as one of the most memorable in the club’s storied history.