Young Arsenal star Tyreece John-Jules signs first professional contract after starring in youth teams

Highly-rated young striker Tyreece John-Jules has signed his first professional contract with Arsenal.

The England youth international’s first deal is understood to be for two-and-a-half years, the longest a player of his age can sign a contract for, and comes just a week after he celebrated his 17th birthday.

John-Jules has already been making a major impact on the Gunners youth setup, particularly in the FA Youth Cup, where he has scored in wins over Liverpool and Middlesbrough.

He has even made the step up to Steve Gatting’s Under-23 side, for whom he has scored three goals in four appearances, including a decisive brace in a 3-1 win at Sunderland last month.

John-Jules made his debut for the England U17s in the Algarve Tournament earlier this month, scoring in a 2-0 win over the Netherlands with Arsenal team-mate Xavier Amaechi netting the other.

The youngster, a boyhood Arsenal fan, was part of the Hale End youth setup when the club’s record goalscorer Thierry Henry briefly coached the youth setup.

“Growing up, I idolised him because I used to follow him and Arsenal,” John-Jules said.

“He only took us for two sessions because I was at Hale End at the time, and then he came up here and started coaching the under-18s.

“He taught me about movement and timing, and obviously gave me tips on finishing when we did striker drills.”