Kelly: Who’s the first person you speak to after a game?
Bukayo: Depends how I’m feeling. I’m not really a big phone-call person. Normally I would text my brother. I get a lot of texts, especially if you win or you score… a lot of people congratulate you, which is nice.
Kelly: What’s an ideal day off look like for you?
Bukayo: Ideal day off – wake up in the morning, go for a walk by myself.
Kelly: Do you like time to yourself?
Bukayo: Yeah. Recently, more than ever, I’ve liked going for walks with nature, I just relax. I think it’s so peaceful, it’s nice. Come back, have some breakfast, and then probably go into London, just get some food with my closest people – something I like doing – going to restaurants and stuff like that. If I have even more energy, maybe some shopping, and, yeah, just enjoying that side of things if it’s a full day off.
Kelly: What are your hobbies?
Bukayo: Football. Recently, I like making coffees. I’m into my coffee era, yeah. I think I’m a part-time barista now. I’m trying to learn how to do the art. That’s hard. It’s so hard but I’m getting there, I’m getting better. I haven’t been able to draw anything yet. I’m going to take lessons soon.
Kelly: What’s your proudest moment of your career today?
Bukayo: I think I’d say where I am now. You know, the circumstances I grew up in and the ups and downs and the challenges, setbacks or whatever that I’ve dealt with and to still be here today and in the position I’m in, going strong, still focused, motivated and happy. I think it’s probably something that gets overlooked and something I can definitely be proud of. As I get a bit older, you understand that sometimes you can’t always be fully invested in football 24/7. You need to have a good balance and give your mind some time to switch off as well and enjoy the other aspects of life too.
Kelly: At what point did you get to realise that?
Bukayo: I think it was last season when I got injured. Before then, I was almost like on autopilot – game after game, recovery, game. And I didn’t really take in anything else. But obviously, when you get injured, you can’t do what you love, you can’t play football. So I was literally in the brace, on the crutches, for almost a month. And you have to entertain yourself in other ways. So it just opened up that part of my brain to different sides of things. And I think since then, it’s been like, there’s a bit more to life than football. It’s not just football, but at the same time, football is my life. So it’s just trying to find a balance because I’ve still [got] the same dedication, the same motivation, but just trying to find that little break and switch off as well at the same time.
Kelly: If you could only achieve one more thing in your life, what would it be?
Bukayo: All the trophies – Arsenal and England. It’s definitely something I want to achieve in my career.
Kelly: How would you describe the Bukayo Saka sitting in front of me?
Bukayo: I think I explained a bit earlier the natural evolution. The player and person I was, what was expected of me and the life I lived then, is completely different to the one now. Naturally, as you go from there to there, you learn different things, you mature, you grow, stuff like that. So, yeah, I think that’s probably the biggest difference.
Kelly: You still like having fun though, don’t you? Because I know you’re one of the jokers in the dressing room as well.
Bukayo: Yeah, it’s the most important thing, I think. Have fun, smile, laugh every day. I think you can’t miss that. No matter what, you can’t miss that.