While Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo continues to adapt to life in League One, the former Arsenal kid still feels that he has a long way to go before he can fulfil his vast potential.
Joint third in the division’s clean sheet rankings with five from ten, the deal which took Arthur Okonkwo back to Wales on a permanent basis in June is looking more and more inspired with every week that passes.
And, still a relative goalkeeping novice at the age of just 23, how good Wrexham’s number one can really become is anyone’s guess.
A graduate of Arsenal’s academy, his 6ft 6ins frame allows the former England Under 18 international to command his penalty area and reach shots that smaller glovesmen would struggle to keep out of the net.
And Okonkwo is keen to supplement those natural gifts as he looks to iron out the kinks and turn his existing weaknesses into strengths.
Wrexham goalkeper Arthur Okonkwo wants to improve his left foot
“I think you need a form of natural instinct in the sense that, the stuff you train on, no matter how much you train, some players have natural gifts. That’s just the way it is,” says Okonkwo, named in League Two’s Team of the Season during a loan spell at Wrexham in 2023/24.
“I am taller, which gives me a natural advantage. Or I can jump higher and I am more explosive, which are advantages that some goalkeepers might not have.
“The important thing is learning your strengths, and working with what you have. That’s an important thing for a goalkeeper. Not every goalkeeper is tall. Some are small and they still do really well.
“It’s about your mind more than your power.”
It will not come as a surprise to learn, given his Arsenal background, that Okonkwo is fully aware of the need to be as comfortable with the ball at his feet than in his arms.
His distribution is impressive already. But, with Okonkwo determined to improve further and help Wrexham secure a third successive promotion, he knows that he still has a lot of work to do to bring his weaker left foot up to scratch with his right.
‘Incredible’ Okonkwo ranks highly amongst League One peers
“The most challenging [element of my game], even until today, is kicking with my left foot,” the former Sturm Graz loanee adds. “I am definitely improving but there’s still so much room for improvement. When I was really young, I couldn’t kick at all so I’ve got somewhere at least!
“Every goalkeeper has somewhere they are trying to improve. I try to work on it every work and make it perfect.
“You have to be really good with your feet now. The way the game is evolving, it’s going towards build-up, using the ball with your feet rather than your hands. So, yeah, it’s something to improve. You have to adapt to it.
“Every goalkeeper wants to get better at this, because this is the way the game is going now.”
Okonkwo’s shot-stopping talents have been labelled ‘incredible’ as Wrexham settle immediately into life in the third tier.
The youngster is currently overperforming his ‘expected goals conceded’ metric by two, while a 77 per cent save percentage is the fourth best in League One.