Six months ago, Arsenal signed Non-League defender Cohen Bramall. And now he’s to play alongside Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette in the club’s pre-season tour.

Bramall recently told told Soccer AM when he got the call about an Arsenal trial he initially thought it was a prank. But half a year on from his days at Hednesford Town, the young left-back has been named in Arsenal’s 25-man pre-season squad.

With this call up comes Cohen’s first opportunity to play for the senior side. His Arsenal career so far has been solely matches with the U23s, where he managed one goal and three assists in nine appearances. An impressive total for a full-back.

Two of those assists came in Bramall’s last game for the U23s, where he set up both goals in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United. It was arguably Cohen’s most impressive performance so far, showcasing his pace and movement, and the United defenders couldn’t figure out how to deal with him.

It was probably this late burst of form that helped make Arsène Wenger’s mind up to include the 21-year-old on their trip to Australia, and later China. With Gibbs remaining in England and rumoured to be leaving, it seems the Arsenal manager is looking to the next generation for the left-wing-back position.

For Bramall, this could be his big chance. In the next few days he could be sharing a pitch with Mesut Özil and Granit Xhaka, maybe crossing the ball in to Alexandre Lacazette or Olivier Giroud.

If he can keep his feet on the ground and put in a couple of good performances he could be in line to fill the gap left by Gibbs’ departure. He’s managed the transition between Hednesford Town and Arsenal well so far, now it’s time for the next step.