Arthur Okonkwo enjoyed a Hollywood ending to mark the finish of his “incredible journey” at Arsenal.
'Keeper Okonkwo, 22, spent last season on loan at Wrexham and their film star owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds rewarded the whole squad for getting promotion with a trip to Las Vegas. Okonkwo admits it was a “bittersweet moment” when he decided to leave Arsenal this summer and look for a new challenge, having spent the last 15 years at the club as academy graduate to first-team squad member.
Wrexham are keen to sign Okonkwo on a permanent basis but there is also strong Championship interest plus Premier League clubs have looked at the giant 'keeper who is still eligible for both England and Nigeria.
It was a remarkable season at Wrexham as he kept 14 clean sheets, helped them gain promotion to League One, starred in their Netflix documentary and, even when they went through a tough time, McElhenney was straight on the phone.
Okonkwo said: “When we had a third loss in a row, Rob McElhenney called me straight after the game and he just said to me, 'Keep doing what you are doing, you’ve been excellent for us and I’ve no doubts that you’ll be back to full form.’
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“It was so good to get that call, they are so supportive and I was really happy with the way they backed me and helped me. They are very involved, they want the team to win every single week and they let us know that. You get text messages, they come to as many games as possible and you don’t get that from all owners.
“They are so passionate about the club and, even though they are so busy, they try to be involved as much as they can. I’m not shocked by how much success Wrexham have had because they are so committed to the project.”
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Arthur Okonkwo helped Wrexham earn a place in League One, England's third ter (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)McElhenney also joined the squad in Vegas for the end of season celebration and, from day one, Okonkwo says the trip were desperate to go on the trip after the Hollywood owners promised it as an incentive for promotion. Okonkwo said: “As soon as I arrived they were saying: ‘Just so you know, Arthur, if we get promoted then we’re going to Vegas…’
“It was fantastic and you can see a bit of our trip online with some videos. It was unbelievable. We had four days, some great celebrations and Rob joined us for the last day. Rob is so passionate, he loves the club and flew all the way out there to spend some time with us, be with us and enjoy it with us.”
Okonkwo loved his time at Arsenal and describes being promoted to the first team squad as the “proudest moment” of his career. He had loan spells at Crewe and Sturm Graz (where he won the Austrian Cup) along the way before Wrexham. Even though he now faces a big decision, he will always look back upon his time at Arsenal with huge affection. He remains a hugely popular and loved figure at the club and his younger brother Brian is also at the club’s academy.
Arthur Okonkwo spent 15 years in Arsenal's academy (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Okonkwo said: “It’s been an incredible journey, from joining at the age of eight, I’m now 22 and I’ve been there for 15 years which has been brilliant because I’ve worked with amazing people, from the academy to the first-team.
“It’s a bittersweet moment because I have to start a new chapter as I’ve had so many great years at Arsenal but, in the last two years, I need to keep playing and carry on my journey. I’m still really ambitious to play at international level. I can still play for England or Nigeria and I’ve not made a choice yet.
“I think, at 22, you are still young as a 'keeper and to have played this much, had so much experience can only help because my position is probably a lot tougher than people think.”
Okonkwo also says that his season at Wrexham has been a huge challenge - and he expects them to go from strength to strength in the future. He added: “I don’t think there’s a lot of teams who like us in the division. Just because of the club, there’s some jealousy and I think every game we played was like a cup final.
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“If we lost a game then they would celebrate. It would be unbelievable. With the fans jumping into crowds, fighting us at the end of games, pushing us and saying to us, ‘You’re rubbish’ and stuff like this. It’s definitely a different experience! We had pressure on our shoulders, we were determined to get promoted and we showed we can handle it.
“Now we’re looking for back-to-back-to-back promotions, all the way from the National League and two promotions. It can be done, 100 per cent. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Wrexham did it again. I don’t see how they’re gonna sit back. I think they’ll go for it again and that’s the environment at the place and they have such a strong momentum.”
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