Bukayo Saka Clarifies “Bedtime” Incident Before European Debut
Bukayo Saka humorously found himself dispelling a misconceived notion regarding his pre-European debut routine for Arsenal, shedding light on an amusing incident from his past.
Renowned today as one of Europe’s standout players, Saka’s journey commenced in 2018 when he was a fledgling teenager potentially reliant on his mother’s assistance at bedtime.
His European debut transpired in November 2018 during an encounter against Ukrainian outfit Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League. This milestone led to an interview with broadcaster Reshmin Chowdhury for BT Sport post-match.
Fast forward five years, following Arsenal’s resounding 6-0 triumph over Lens in the Champions League, Saka engaged in another interview with Chowdhury. During the conversation, the broadcaster humorously recollected an embarrassing yet comical exchange from their past encounter.
Chowdhury reminisced, “Bukayo, when you made that debut in Europe, I interviewed you after the game. You recall it, don’t you? Your response was, ‘I was so thrilled, I found out last night, and my mum had to put me to bed.'”
“I don’t know why I said that. It didn’t happen.” 🤦♂️
Bukayo Saka reacts to @ReshminTV reminding him of when he said his mum had to put him to bed the night before his #UCL debut 😅 pic.twitter.com/W1rKCduKKX
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 29, 2023
Saka chuckled, dismissing the incident, “I knew you would bring that up; I anticipated it.”
When questioned about the jests from teammates and family following the interview, Saka admitted, “My friends and a considerable number of family members teased me about it. Honestly, I’m not sure why I said that because it didn’t actually happen. She merely advised me to go to bed, but the narrative of ‘putting me to bed’ was overstated. Nevertheless, it’s a lighthearted moment.”
In the recent 6-0 victory over Lens, Saka contributed a goal, steering Arsenal into the Champions League’s last-16 phase. With three goals and four assists in five Champions League appearances, the 22-year-old is proving his mettle on the grand stage.
