Arsenal starlet Jeff Reine-Adelaide has 'fantastic' potential says Olivier Giroud

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud believes the future is very bright for winger Jeff Reine-Adelaide in north London. The French teenager has burst on to the scene at the Emirates Stadium after signing from Lens earlier in the summer, impressing supporters and teammates alike with some eye-catching pre-season performances.

Giroud is in no doubt that he has the talent to be a big hit for the Gunners in the future and has tipped the 17-year-old to make a rapid improvement – if he listens to the advice from those around him at the club's London Colney training ground.

"I knew that he was in the Under-17 European Championship winning side last summer. We have seen him on the pitch recently and he has shown his qualities," Giroud told Arsenal fans during a Q&A at the Member's Day, according to the official website.

"I think he's quite mature for his age. He's got a really good mentality and if he's listening to the advice around him from his team-mates, he could improve very quickly. His potential is fantastic."

Giroud's comments follow similar words from Theo Walcott, who described the player as "very talented" after his assist in the 1-0 Emirates Cup win over Wolfsburg. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger also confirmed he would not be leaving on loan following the tournament, further adding to the possibility that he could feature for the seniors this season.

While there is strong competition for places on the flanks at Arsenal, the manager is renowned for giving young players a chance to flourish and Reine-Adelaide will be hoping to seize any opportunity that might come his way this term.

That is something Hector Bellerin and Francis Coquelin both did last season, and German centre-back Per Mertesacker was full of praise for the way the duo integrated into the side when called upon.

"Last season we had Hector Bellerin stepping up and Francis Coquelin in the second half of the season. These are two young players who got their chance to step up and performed really well," said Mertesacker during the same session. "It gave us a lot of energy when it was needed because we went through the first part of the season with a lot of injuries, so there's a lot more to come from them this season."

Both players will expect to be in the line-up when Wenger picks his first team for the new Premier League season on 9 August, with West Ham United making the short trip across the capital to face the Gunners.