Head of Arsenal's academy, Andries Jonker, concedes that Alex Iwobi's commitment and dedication has left everyone at the club surprised.

The 20-year-old Nigerian youngster, who made his senior debut in the League Cup last season, ended the campaign with 17 appearances for the North London club.

Iwobi was a regular fixture in Arsene Wenger's squad in the closing stages of the season and it was his determination that allowed him to force his way into the senior setup according to Jonker.

"What makes [Alex] different from many other boys is that, when you analyse him, he's good at all aspects," Jonker told Arsenal Player.

"It's not just him being a good player, he's also a stable guy who's working hard every day. He's not getting distracted by having a lot of success.

"He's the example of a good player who has not been identified by anybody as a potential first-team player. Many, many people seem to think you have to recognise an under-nine as a potential first-team player. When you spend a long time in youth football, you understand that you will never know.

"There are positive and negative surprises, but Alex is one of those boys who has continued to work hard, and kept his commitment and dedication no matter what has happened. In the end he made it and he has been a big surprise to everyone at Arsenal but we all love it.

"He's surprised us all."