‘I had to leave Arsenal – I felt misjudged because I liked wearing high heels’ | Football | Sport

A former Arsenal player has revealed he felt ‘misjudged’ during his spell at the Emirates Stadium due to his fondness for wearing high heels and jewellery. The player joined the Gunners aged just five and spent the next 11 years progressing through the youth system. He secured a professional deal in 2019 and looked destined to make his mark at first-team level.

The midfielder made his bow for the north London outfit the following year, entering as a substitute in a Europa League fixture against Dundalk. It turned out to be his sole senior outing and he subsequently had loan spells at Portsmouth, Ibiza and Wigan Athletic. He departed Arsenal permanently in early 2024, transferring to Spanish fourth-division club Atletico Baleares.

The player concerned is Miguel Azeez, who showed considerable promise during his spell at Arsenal but ultimately failed to establish himself.

Earlier this year, he confessed that he felt ‘misjudged’ because of his unconventional sense of style and maintained people believed he was ‘aloof’.

Reflecting on the circumstances of his departure, Azeez told The Athletic: “I definitely felt, not adversity, but being misjudged. Ask anyone at Arsenal, I was always first into training and last to leave.

“If I looked like a quintessential footballer they would not have thought anything of it but because of how I looked, the hairstyles, the face, jewellery, whatever it was, they would say: ‘He is trying to be aloof by coming in early to be by himself’.

“I was just trying to improve. That word ‘aloof’ was used against me at Arsenal. My team-mates were in the changing room on their phones on Snapchat when I was in the gym working, but they would just see me by myself and put two and two together.

“The players seemed to take to it, which was nice. It was from the coaching side of things. I don’t know if it was an upbringing thing or a hierarchy thing. I took it as people thinking, ‘Who does he think he is? Does he think he is better than me?’.

“No, I’m just being myself. I’m not causing any harm by wearing a pair of heels. There was always this thing representing the badge. I get that, but I think they wanted a different image to what I was giving.”

Azeez, who currently plays for non-league Morecambe, revealed he felt compelled to depart in pursuit of opportunities elsewhere. He also expressed his dismay at the absence of acknowledgement from the club upon his exit in 2024.

“I felt like I had to go,” he continued. “You would train with the under-21s, be in with the first team and be on the bench but not get on. I had to try to create my own path.

“I don’t think anybody would like a player not extending their contract, but it wasn’t the nicest send-off. Normally, a player who was leaving would get their shirt signed by all the players and staff. I didn’t get that or a meeting saying goodbye.

“Not that I cared as I don’t need that to feel validated, but me being the longest-serving player, it would have been nice to get something.”

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