The Kitchen Champion Division has been a breeding ground for national and foreign talents for decades and this season there are again many footballers with potential at the second level. Football zone, the official media partner of the Kitchen Champion Division, highlights one of these talents every week, this time focusing on Zak Swanson, for whom MVV Maastricht should serve as a stepping stone towards the main force of Arsenal.

By Chris Meijer

Zak, Zachary in full, Swanson does not have to think long when asked what the biggest culture shock was for him in his first weeks in the Netherlands. “Bicycles. Everywhere on the street you have to watch out for bicycles. I can also cycle. But everything here is done with a bicycle. Everything. In England everyone just goes by car ”, is his reply with a laugh. A few weeks ago, the twenty-year-old Englishman moved into an apartment in the city center of Maastricht, a stone’s throw from De Geusselt. “A lovely cityeven though I miss London. I manage to cook and clean myself quite well. However, the standard is not very high. ”

Swanson provisionally played two league matches on behalf of MVV.

It was a big step for Swanson in several ways. Not only did he leave London behind for the first time, but his period at Arsenal came to a temporary end after no less than fourteen years. Swanson, born in Florida, USA, entered the academy at the age of six in 2006 the Gunners and progressed to the Under-23 last season, where he worked briefly with manager Freddie Ljungberg (‘a true legend at the club, you know‘) and earned his first professional contract in 2019. As a fixed value in the highest youth team of Arsenal, he has already trained several times with the main force. “That remains special every time. I’m a big Arsenal fan, so it’s an honor every time I get to train with the former. The first time is difficult, but after a few training sessions it feels natural. They make you feel very welcome. David Luiz was especially helpful, he helped me the most. ”

“If I have to name a player who was the most difficult to defend, it is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He is a world-class player, you can see that in the Premier League. Incredible, ”Swanson sighs impressively. The right back, who can also play in the center of defense, on the left flank and in midfield, already made his unofficial debut in the first team of Arsenal and was still in the selection in June when it lost 2-3 exhibition game with Brentford. It was for the website Football.London even reason to publish an article with the headline: Who is Zak Swanson? The next Arsenal wonderkid who could feature in Mikel Arteta’s plans. Two months after the intended exhibition game at the Emirates Stadium, however, Arsenal and MVV announced to the world that Swanson would play in the Kitchen Champion Division this season on a rental basis.

“MVV has seen me play in London and they have a good relationship with Arsenal, there have been guys here on loan before,” he points out Kelechi Nwakali and Stefan O’Connor. Swanson also spoke with Charlie Gilmour, who played in the Arsenal youth team and was loaned to Telstar by Norwich City last season. “It seemed good for Arsenal to make minutes somewhere and to gain experience in a first team in a good competition. I could find myself there. I always had in mind that I was going to leave on a rental basis, to gain new experiences and make minutes in a first team somewhere. The guys who previously played on a rental basis in the Netherlands told me that the level was high and that the step would be good for me. That will work out like this for the time being.

Swanson has been with Arsenal since 2006.

“I knew Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord and AZ, they are big clubs in the world. The Eredivisie is also a big competition. The Kitchen Champion Division also contains large clubs, such as Cambuur and De Graafschap. That did surprise me, the competition is very strong ”, Swanson continues. Yet at first glance it seems like a huge step, from the Emirates Stadium and training complex Colney of Arsenal to the artificial turf of the cozy Geusselt of MVV. “Arsenal and MVV are completely different, that is clear”, he confirms immediately. “Take the facilities, even if the stadium is fine. But MVV is also quite a big club, with a lot of fans and I felt very welcome from the first moment. Everyone is very helpful. ”

“The artificial turf is a thing. It is what it is, you have to deal with it and it is also great to play football ”, is a comment on the first impressions of Dutch football. “Of course the cultures and people are different, but it is not completely different either. The Dutch are direct, but that is also good for me. You also learn faster through this direct communication. Moreover, everyone speaks English quite well. It is good for your development to adapt to a new language, a different culture and a new football style. I think I will definitely be a different player after this season, even though defending is basically the same everywhere. It’s about keeping the zero, that’s the Job of a defender. ”

Swanson battles Leroy Sané during the Manchester City Under-23 encounter last season. In total he played seventeen games for the Arsenal Under-23.

“The Premier League 2 is a training competition. But in the Kitchen Champion Division you play against boys from 17 to 35, each team is different in terms of playing style or experience. The Premier League 2 is a good competition with good players, but the pressure is different ”, Swanson explains the difference between the Premier League 2 in which Arsenal Under-23 plays and the Kitchen Champion Division. For an English player, a rental period in League Two, League One or Championship seems more likely. “But I wanted a new environment,” he responds. “I’ve already played League One and League Two clubs and those are good leagues to gain experience, but I wanted to try something new. A new lifestyle, but also a different environment in terms of football. ”

For Swanson, the year in Limburg should ultimately be a first step towards the first team of Arsenal. Despite the changeable competition start of MVV, he is convinced that he can leave Maastricht at the end of the season after reaching the play-offs for promotion to the Eredivisie. “If we are well attuned to each other, we can achieve great things. I would like to gain experience, make minutes and hope that I can help the club move forward ”, he nods. Swanson concludes with a smile: “My dream is always to make it to Arsenal’s first team. Maybe it won’t work, but you can always dream. ”

Name: Zak Swanson
Date of birth: September 28, 2000
Club: MVV Maastricht (rented from Arsenal)
Position: right back
Strengths: versatility, speed, insight

Voetbalzone is the official media partner of the Kitchen Champion Division

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