Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn has exclusively told Sports Mole that he does not see "any reason" why Myles Lewis-Skelly should not be in contention to become England's first-choice left-back for the next World Cup.
The unfazed 18-year-old put in yet another assured performance well beyond his years on Wednesday evening, where Arsenal dumped Real Madrid out of the Champions League with a 2-1 quarter-final second-leg win at the Bernabeu.
Lewis-Skelly's rapid rise to stardom naturally caught the eye of England boss Thomas Tuchel, who fast-tracked him into the senior squad and witnessed the teenager score on his debut in last month's World Cup 2026 qualifying win over Albania.
The 18-year-old broke the record for England's youngest male debut scorer in the process, and even though he benefitted from Luke Shaw and Lewis Hall's injuries to make March's selection, Winterburn expects him to be pushing for regular starts at the 2026 World Cup.
Asked by Sports Mole if he can become England's number one left-back, Winterburn replied: "I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be. He's got a very good chance if he continues to perform like he does for Arsenal.
"The way that England want to play, I'm not sure. We've only seen little glimpses against weaker opposition. I said it before he was selected, I didn't see any way he wouldn't be selected with some of the injuries that England have got.
Winterburn talks up Lewis-Skelly's "added bonus" after Real heroics
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"Even when everybody's fit, I still feel that he is going to be in the squad. Possibly, first choice. Everything is on form or should be really. He hasn't really done it for Arsenal yet, but you've also got that added bonus that he can play in midfield as well.
"Going forward with Arsenal, I could be completely wrong, but my feeling is we might see that as well. But at the moment, he's making a very, very strong case to be first choice left back at Arsenal, which from the start of the season, you would definitely say he wasn't, but he is now."
Hailed for his ability to glide past opponents and draw fouls in inverted positions, Lewis-Skelly completed both of his dribble attempts successfully at the Bernabeu and also won five free kicks to help his side slow the game down.
Lewis-Skelly also provided the assist for Mikel Merino's goal in the first-leg win over Real Madrid and remains perpetually unruffled in any situation, although a lack of discipline has been a standout weakness this season.
While his red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers was overturned, he could have had no complaints about being sent off against West Ham United and was lucky not to take the walk of shame in the 7-1 thumping of PSV Eindhoven in the UCL last 16.
Winterburn - a three-time title-winning left-back - was keen to stress that the 2006-born product is still refining his trade, adding: "He's so strong, I've watched him come up through the youth team.
Lewis-Skelly's "tricky decisions" analysed amid rise to fame
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"Technically, he's very, very good. As a young player, what you want to see is you want to see no fear, you want to see ability, you want to see that player keep pushing, keep learning.
"Lewis-Skelly has done that through this season. He's faced one or two tricky decisions as well. Everything hasn't quite gone his way all the time, but he's still learning, he's still very young.
"I don't see any reason why he's not going to be part of the Arsenal team for a long, long time. Whether that be a left-back, whether it may be in midfield later on, that's something Mikel Arteta will know, he might have an idea of what he's doing. But the talent is there."
Lewis-Skelly was primarily deployed as a defensive midfielder during his time in the Arsenal youth academy, but Thomas Partey has excelled in that role for the Gunners this season, and the same cannot be said for Arteta's other left-backs.
Riccardo Calafiori has shown flashes of quality since his arrival but has also struggled with injury, while Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney are far down the pecking order, and the latter is known to be returning to Celtic when his deal expires in June.
Winterburn explains Lewis-Skelly midfield theory
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However, Arsenal stand to lose Jorginho and Partey at the end of the season, and while Martin Zubimendi is expected to arrive from Real Sociedad to plug the Partey gap, Winterburn curiously brought up the prospect of moving Lewis-Skelly back into midfield.
Asked what traits the teenager possesses that made him feel that way, the Gunners legend replied: "Quality on the ball. You can see how strong he is. He's a good ball carrier, always has been. He could probably play in a deeper role for Arsenal. Modern football, new managers, they have different ideas.
"It may be that Mikel Arteta sees that the left back is the perfect position for him. You just don't know. But the one thing that we don't need to discuss is that the talent is there. And so far this season, the development is there. And I don't see any reason why that won't continue."
Lewis-Skelly already boasts one goal and two assists in 31 appearances for Arsenal at senior level, and the teenager will be involved in Sunday's Premier League showdown with Ipswich Town.
Ahead of the Gunners' trip to Portman Road, Winterburn also delivered his verdict on Liam Delap potentially joining Arsenal and explained why he disagrees with a fellow legend over his former club's striker plans for the summer transfer window.
Nigel Winterburn was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of William Hill.
Ben Knapton
