The making of newest Manchester United star Ayden Heaven
Ayden Heaven might be an impressive centre-back but it was attacking talent that caught his eye as a youngster. He does not shy away from the fact he supported Arsenal growing up and idolised the talent of Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott as a child.
As with many young players, playing in a fixed position was not really a consideration. Heaven played in every position possible, even in goal, due to his height and physical advantage over many of his peers. He joined local side Edmonton United at the age of five, before he shone in a match against West Ham and was offered a one-day trial with the club. They knew straight away he was a player worth taking a risk on.
Heaven spent four years with West Ham when they broke the news that he was going to be released. It was tough to take for the youngster, but he looks back on that spell in East London as the making of him as a player. “Initially, I was down because I was there for a number of years but in my mind, I knew that I was good enough to get back to academy level – I just needed the right opportunity. I had the mentality that this is not the end of my story, there’s still more to come,” he told
Without a club, he joined Sunday League side Levels to keep his fitness up and ensure he was in the best physical condition should any other opportunities come his way.
One of those who ran the side was also a scout for Chelsea and they managed to arrange a trial for him at Stamford Bridge, though they eventually released him after two months. “That decision hurt because they kept on extending my trial so I was disappointed when I didn’t get signed,” he added. It might not have worked out anyway.
Afterwards, Heaven spent a month on trial with Fulham, and although they wanted to sign him, the logistics of actually getting there regularly proved too difficult for the teenager.
So it was to be fourth time lucky instead. West Ham and Chelsea didn’t want him, Fulham was too far away. Then, there came an approach from Arsenal for him to train with them instead. Not only were they his boyhood club, but the drive to their Hale End academy was only 15 minutes from his family home.
After five years with his boyhood club, the decision to leave was not an easy one, but after a youth career in which he always had to prove himself, it was time he took control of his own future for a change.
It would have been easy to sign a new deal at Arsenal and hope a chance would finally come, but Heaven knows he could be miserable now.
In two months at Manchester United he has already played more than he did in North London, and based on his latest performance, there is plenty more where that came from, too.
