"If you told me Ainsley Maitland-Niles would have to play left-back or wing-back in the Euro 2020 final, it wouldn’t worry me because I saw his performances at the end of last season," former Liverpool, Fulham and England midfielder Danny Murphy wrote in his Daily Mail column.
"He kept Mo Salah quiet and helped Arsenal beat Manchester City and then Chelsea to win the FA Cup at Wembley.
"He’s a player for the big occasion: cool on the ball and doesn’t mind using his left foot higher up the pitch. He defends better one-on-one than people give him credit for. So England’s left-sided problem is not as serious as we once thought."
Before the lockdown, Ains' Arsenal career seemed to be close to the end because he was not getting playing time under Mikel Arteta.
Yet the versatile player picked himself up and put in some great shifts for the Gunners, becoming one of the key players at the club.
His improved performances even attracted the interest of Barcelona who were seriously considering signing him—but Arteta insisted the England international is not for sale.
Speaking of AMN's England career, the 23-year-old has earned two caps for Three Lions, coming on as a substitute against Denmark and Wales in September and October, respectively.
