Willem II confirm transfer of Arsenal midfielder Daniel Crowley on 3-year deal

Eredivisie club Willem II have confirmed the departure of midfielder Daniel Crowley from Arsenal where he will stay until 2020 after signing a three-year contract. Crowley, who was brought up at Aston Villa, moved to Arsenal as a 15-year-old player.

The past three seasons, he has been on loan at the likes of Barnsley FC, Oxford United and Go Ahead Eagles where he gained some valuable experience. He has also played 23 games for various English youth teams and is regarded as one of the best English prospects for the future.

Crowley is conversant with the workings at the Dutch League, having spent six months at the Eagles and wants to build on that experience going forward. He will wear the number 14 shirt in his time at the club. Crowley is known for his ability as an attacking midfielder and can make some piercing passes from the back to open up the opposition's defence.

"I see obviously an advantage. I know what is required and how this is playing football. I want to be important in the field and to develop myself as a player. I can do that only if I get playing time and confidence, I feel that I'm getting here at Willem II," he told Willem's official website.

"We are extremely pleased that we have a talent like Daniel pledged their loyalty to us," added Joris Mathijsen, the technical director at the club.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger has heaped praise on youngsters Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson after both players impressed against Sydney FC in the club's opening pre-season game in Australia. The pair was in the starting eleven and made a positive impression as the Gunners completed a 2-0 win.

The manager is a huge fan of both forwards, recently claiming that they were close to making the jump to the first team setup, and was vindicated by their performances against Sydney.