How Bukayo Saka’s Brother Yomi Missed Out on Professional Football Despite Stint With Watford

• Bukayo Saka is not the only footballing talent in his family, as his elder brother Yomi also had a stint with Watford Academy
• The lads of Nigerian descent were born in London, but Bukayo decided to feature for the England national team
• While the Arsenal star has also represented the Three Lions at the World Cup, we look at why Yomi dumped the professional sport

Yomi, the older brother of Arsenal superstar, Bukayo Saka, somehow missed out on playing professional football.

His younger brother Bukayo, now an established superstar, once admitted that his family sacrificed everything for him to reach his potential.

At 17, Bukayo was already starring for Premier League club Arsenal. He also featured for several England Youth teams – the U16, U17, U18, U19, and U21 teams.

As of age 21, Bukayo Saka has already made 26 appearances for the England senior national team and also featured at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar; his brother Yomi did not have such opportunities.

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Why Yomi Saka dumped football

The promising defender was a member of the Watford Academy until the age of 14 when he decided to focus fully on education.

A youthful Yomi was already becoming established before deciding to go to college.

Bukayo Saka reacts

Bukayo told Arsenal.com:

"My brother played as a defender for Watford until he was about 14.

"From the age of three or four I would be playing football at home in the garden with my dad, and my older brother, Yomi.

"It was always like that. After school we would eat and then it was straight into the garden to play football. We would play for hours.

"My dad and brother would want to go back inside but I never let them. We kept playing until I won. I'm serious, you can ask them! As long as they were winning, I wouldn't let them back inside."

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Bukayo Saka visits Nigerian grandparents

Sports Brief earlier reported that the Arsenal forward paid a courtesy visit to his grandparents in the Oro Irepodun Local Government Area in Nigeria's Kwara State.

The Gunners star is in Nigeria following the end of the Premier League season as he continues to identify with his roots.

Saka was born on September 5, 2001, in Ealing, London, to Yoruba Nigerian parents, Adenike and Yomi Saka.