Arsenal 18-year-old Billy Vigar will sign a professional contract with the club ahead of next season, after a strong end to the current campaign.

Speaking to the Arsenal matchday programme before the final game of the Premier League season, Billy Vigar confirmed that he’s set to sign a professional deal at the end of his scholarship contract.

There was certainly a point at which it seemed unlikely we’d reach this stage.

Due to injuries, Vigar only made six appearances (one start) from the start of the 2020/21 campaign until mid-November of this season.

Even when the teenager returned to action with a goal against West Ham in November, he took a while to really get going.

As you’d expect with a player returning from a long time out, Vigar’s first few starts didn’t bear much fruit. Yet things turned around at the end of February.

The striker scored three goals and assisted two in the final nine games of the u18 campaign, and he was involved in a few other goals as Arsenal’s form experienced a dramatic upturn.

Vigar was absolutely a key part of the late revival for Dan Micciche’s side. He arguably would have scored more if he’d started more at centre-forward, but he was often needed out wide instead.

Moving forward, the catch is that Vigar won’t be able to feature for the u18s anymore. He’s now ageing out of that level.

After he signs his professional contract, he’ll be stepping up to the u23s, where there’s plenty of competition in forward areas.

Vigar will now need to carry his strong form into pre-season and beyond. But it’s good to see his hard work over the last couple of years rewarded with positive performances and a new contract.