EXCLUSIVE: Fabrice Muamba on why young stars are taking it too easy #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

THEY were once 'Wenger's kids' but not one player in Arsenal's victory over Newcastle on Monday came through the ranks. As he continues his foray into journalism with Express Sport, Fabrice tackles the issue of breaking through into the big time - and the problems young players bring on themselves

Youngsters such as Jack Wilshere have benefitted from loan spells[ACTION]

EGOS, arrogance and selfishness are just some of the problems young players have nowadays.

We have witnessed fewer young players breaking through into first teams partly because managers of elite clubs are under so much pressure to get results that they overlook the youth system to buy more established players.

But that should not stop any young players from working and improving their game in the hope that other clubs will take them on.

The moment you start to feel you are better than the game, that is when your downfall begins.

Young players nowadays are so quick to get out of the training ground so they can hang around with their mates. Fewer players do extra training or analyse they own game to try to improve it.

Social media and technology have played a massive part in this. Youth team players are worried about what their friends might think about them.

A young Fabrice gained a crucial amount of experience during his time with the Gunners [GETTY]

During my time at Arsenal, when they were the Invincibles, first-team opportunities were limited - but that never stopped me working on improving my game and hoping to get a chance somewhere else.

The Invincibles era was a real test of mental strength for some of us but, just after that, there was a change in the club and suddenly loads of young players were getting into the first team. The loan system proved to be working well.

Jack Wilshere going out on loan to Bolton was a vital part of his football development and now he is an England regular.

It had a massive impact on the team. Sebastian Larsson, Nicklas Bendtner, David Bentley, myself, Anthony Stokes, Johan Djourou, the list goes on. The first-team place was limited but going out on loan helped everyone of us.

The loan system helped us to improve mentally too, dealing with defeats as a first-team player and the physical demands of playing regular first-team football.

But in any walk of life you must be disciplined to achieve your goal. Football is no different. Discipline will take you further than a player who is more talented but who lacks the discipline required at a high level.