If Eddie Nketiah is skilled at anything, it’s disproving those who disbelieve him, but it takes effort off the pitch as well.

The 23-year-old’s actions, such as sticking at Arsenal when he was unlikely to play much or declining Ghana’s invitation to the World Cup in order to pursue his dream of playing for England, have left many wondering if he is as brilliant as he believes he is.Nketiah appeared to be heading in the right direction, but he felt underappreciated.The youthful player has found new life with a new contract and shirt number.Though some were surprised that he chose to wear the fabled No. 14 shirt of Thierry Henry, Arsenal supporters now couldn’t ask for a better backup striker at this time.The 23-year-old has shown to be a more than suitable substitute for the injured Gabriel Jesus, scoring four goals in five Premier League starts to keep the league leaders on course.After joining from Manchester City for £50 million, Jesus started the season on fire. His playmaking and pushing were virtually unmatched.Nketiah, nevertheless, has settled nicely, and after scoring twice against Manchester United in the Gunners’ greatest victory of the year, manager Mikel Arteta will find it difficult to bench him whenever Jesus returns.But Nketiah’s form isn’t exactly out of the blue; his gains off the pitch are readily apparent.The teenage striker had an uneventful loan at Leeds United four years prior. He then returned to Arsenal, where Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette stood in the way of his ability to play regularly.Although there was optimism that Nketiah would succeed at Leeds, it didn’t pan out.Jesus and Nketiah are now the league leader’s attacking alternatives, but that’s because the latter made a smart choice in 2019 when his career at Arsenal appeared to be in jeopardy.Nketiah joined Athletic Development Club, a place where athletes like Bobby Zamora and Rio Ferdinand had previously completely changed their physique, and he achieved amazing improvements.Under the tutelage of ADC director Chris Varnavas, the Lewisham-born attacker has transformed from boy to man and is prepared to go hard against the toughest defenders in European sport.However, Varnavas is all over Nketiah’s efforts to become a lean goalscoring machine, so both players deserve recognition.Nketiah’s strength has aided him in taking on opponents.His gym coach is also pleased with his work.He told ESPN that he was “one of the best athletes we’ve got on our books in terms of his attitude and commitment.” He’s simply at a different level.His objective was to gain some muscle and strength while enhancing his general athleticism, which included power, speed, and strength.Together with the family and him, we got down and created a plan.”Is it possible to apply what we do on the gym floor to the pitch? That is the most crucial factor.He had the strength to hold off the defender, as you saw the previous day, but he was also agile enough to turn beautifully and score a fantastic goal.Nketiah is exercising diligently.“I’m really pleased with his development to date and the opportunity he’s currently receiving, and I can definitely see him continuing to compete at the highest level.”Although both current and former Premier League players are served by the north London gym, it’s safe to argue that Nketiah has benefited more than anybody else.Varnavas clarified, “Eddie was actually undereating when he first came to us.””We’ve all seen how much weight he’s gained, but he moves great in it as well. He’s not slowed down; rather, it’s improved him.Eddie has a lot of humility, which is something I like. He follows directions quite effectively.“Even when he initially joined us, he had the inner confidence in himself that he could be Arsenal’s starting striker. He was near the first team but maybe on the bench here and there. He never questioned his value.While Nketiah did not, Arsenal almost did when they were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract in the summer.But now that they have one of the league’s greatest lineups of strikers, things might only get better.