Bukayo Saka talks about being a part-time barista, stepping away from football and why he was always Arsenal

Kelly: Who is the first person you talk to after the match?

Bukayo: Depends on how I feel. I’m not really a big phone call person. I usually text my brother. I get a lot of text messages, especially if you win or score a goal… a lot of people congratulate you, which is nice.

Kelly: What does an ideal day off look like for you?

Bukayo: Perfect day off – wake up in the morning and go for a walk alone.

Kelly: Do you like time for yourself?

Bukayo: Yes. Lately, more than ever, I love going for walks with nature, I just relax. I think it’s very peaceful, it’s nice. I come back, have some breakfast, then maybe go to London, have some food with the people closest to me – which is something I like to do – and go to restaurants and things like that. If I had more energy, maybe some shopping, and yeah, just enjoying that side of things if it was a full day off.

Kelly: What are your hobbies?

Bukayo: soccer. Lately, I love making coffee. I’m into coffee, yes. I think I’m a part-time barista now. I’m trying to learn how to do this art. This is difficult. It’s very difficult but I’m getting there and I’m getting better. I haven’t been able to draw anything yet. I will be taking lessons soon.

Kelly: What is the proudest moment in your career today?

Bukayo: I guess I’ll say where I am now. You know, the circumstances that I grew up in and the ups and downs and challenges and setbacks or whatever I dealt with and I’m still here today and in the position that I’m in, going strong, still focused, motivated and happy. I think maybe this is something that gets overlooked and it’s something I can definitely be proud of. As I get a little older, you realize that sometimes you can’t always be fully invested in football 24/7. You need to strike a good balance and give your mind some time to switch off and enjoy other aspects of life as well.

Kelly: At what point did you realize this?

Bukayo: I think it was last season when I got injured. Before that, I was almost on autopilot – match by match, recovery, match. And I didn’t really understand anything else. But obviously when you’re injured, you can’t do what you love, you can’t play football. So I was literally in the brace on crutches for about a month. You should entertain yourself in other ways. So it opened up that part of my mind to different sides of things. I believe that since then, there has been more to life than football. It’s not just football, but at the same time, football is my life. So I’m just trying to find balance because I still am [got] Same dedication, same drive, but just trying to find a little break and also switch off at the same time.

Kelly: If you could achieve only one thing in your life, what would it be?

Bukayo: All trophies – Arsenal and England. It’s definitely something I want to achieve in my career.

Kelly: How would you describe Bukayo Saka who is sitting in front of me?

Bukayo: I think I explained a little earlier about natural evolution. The player and person I was, what was expected of me and the life I lived then, is very different to life now. And of course, when you go from there to there, you learn different things, you mature, you grow, things like that. So, yeah, I think that’s probably the biggest difference.

Kelly: You still like to have fun, right? Because I know you’re one of the jokers in the locker room, too.

Bukayo: Yes, that’s the most important thing, I think. Enjoy, smile, laugh every day. I think you can’t miss it. Whatever it is, you can’t miss it.