Myles Lewis-Skelly has become the latest young jewel unearthed from Arsenal’s youth academy and is having his breakthrough season in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
He had a fiery debut in his side’s 2-2 draw against Manchester City and has produced some admirable performances after gaining his reputation as one of the top youth performers for the Gunners’ youth team.
But a big reason for Lewis-Skelly’s drive and determination is his upbringing and the help of his super-supportive mother Marcia Lewis.
Not only has she supported her young son through his impressive rise through the ranks at Arsenal, but also been extremely protective in ensuring that greed doesn’t set in for him at an early age.
She had a heart-warming reaction to seeing Myles make his UEFA Champions League debut for Arsenal in their recent 2-0 win over PSG.
There is enough reason for that sheer pride considering how much work she’s put in to help her son in his journey to the top.
Marcia has been representing Myles throughout his youth career and been very particular about making choices that can positively impact his development.
She was forced to deal with sponsors trying to tie-up with her son ever since he turned 11 and played for Arsenal academy, with the offers only multiplying the more prominence he gained as the years passed.
When he was 12, a top sports brand wanted to sponsor him. There was no trusted advice, no network to consult, and no family connections in the football industry. I felt I needed to protect him.
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s mum speaking to The Athletic about the attention that kept coming her son’s way.
Rather than blindly trusting the help of a football agent, Marcia decided to seek help from those who have been in her shoes.
She started contacting the parents of other budding footballers to seek their opinions on which decisions can actually benefit her child and to safeguard him from being exploited by sponsors at such a young age.
Marcia might not have any footballing background herself, but is a successful woman in her own right.
She has worked for major global corporations such as Goldman Sachs (Training Specialist) and Morgan Stanley (Global Technology Training Manager) as well as HSBC Bank (Training Manager) in London.
Lewis also worked for UK Home Office (government) as a Business Support Training Manager from 2021 to 2023.
But in 2020, she opted to take things into her hands into learning the trades of the Football Business scene to understand better on the kind of decisions her son should take once he turns professional.
She did a master’s degree in Football Business from the UCFB (University of Football Business). On top of that, Marcia also decided to study for the official FIFA Agents Examination to get a better understanding of their role and responsibilities.
Lewis did all this on top of her own working hours and also having to take care of Myles, with her and Myles’ dad sharing much of the family responsibilities.
She explained her decision to take all these courses, stating: “There are plenty of great agents, but his dad and I needed more time to build those relationships — and to properly understand what agents do. I took my exam, not really as a driver to represent Myles, but to gain that knowledge for us.”
But Marcia is not about just being devoted to her own son’s well-being.
She decided to impart her knowledge of how to deal with the issues with a youth footballer’s growth and development, as well as things like dealing with agents, academy education and contract handling with the launch of a podcast named ‘Behind the Boots’.
She hosts the podcast with her friend Kat Chidiac, with some of the guests on the show ranging from Arsenal youth coach Per Mertesacker, Emile Smith Rowe’s father Les and Alex Iwobi’s dad Chuka.
Through the podcast conversations, Marcia and her guests have discussions over what obstacles parents can face when their child develops in a football academy and other elements like dealing with agents, negotiating contracts as well as about how to improve their child’s fitness and nutritional tips.
Towards the end of 2022, Marcia also co-launched the No1Fan.club – an interactive platform that provides a support network and communities for budding footballers’ families.
The website has a range of content that helps parents of a young footballer. It also allows opportunities to speak to parents of famous footballers who have already experienced what it takes to help their child go through their system to a senior team as well as industry experts.
She described the reason for launching the podcast and website, telling the Mirror: “We have a responsibility as parents as well because you hear stories about parents wanting brown envelopes, flash cars. But then when you have youngsters being dangled the watches and the VIP treatment, it doesn’t set a healthy precedent.”
“We want to show the landscape before the families get into it. Is an academy right for you? It may be that they decide to leave it for a year. Or you know your rights when you do go in. We’re trying to build a village where you can ask questions, get advice and get answers. We’ve got podcasts, a space where you can share. On my journey with Myles, I’ve had some amazing conversations with people who have gone through it and now their kids are playing in the Premier League.”
Marcia is clearly determined to help other struggling parents who are worried about their children’s future in football and ensure that more promising players like Lewis-Skelly can emerge into the scene in years to come.
