New teenage England star Bukayo Saka has crowned his breakthrough by moving out of the family home he grew up inand into a footballers mansion, MailOnline can reveal. The 19 year old grew up in modest circumstances just five miles from Wembley where he lived with his parents and siblings.The family occupied a small two-storey semi-detached home in Greenford, in the borough of Ealing, London, where Bukayo would kick a ball as a young boy on the communal green after school.But following his breakthrough into the first team at Arsenal, he quietly upgraded by buying a six-bedroomed contemporary mansion with sprawling grounds.He bought the enormous house in leafy Hertfordshire in November 2019 for 2.3 millionjust as he turned 18.Bukayo, who had been given his first professional contract by Arsenal at 17, is thought to have moved his parents and siblings in with him soon after.The house came complete with spa and walk-in wardrobes but he wanted to personalise it and workmen have been upgrading it regularly ever since.The area is more popularly associated with Tottenham than Arsenalclub legends Gary Mabbutt and Martin Chivers both lived there and current players Dele Alli and Serge Aurier both live nearby.Its a far cry from his modest childhood home. Englands new hero was in contact with neighbours on his old estate after the big win and his generous family are well-known for helping people move house as well as sending footballs, games consoles and money to help hard-up people in the area.His man of the match performance against the Czech Republic last night marks an extraordinary journey for the Arsenal winger, 19, who was born five miles from Wembley and is nicknamed little chilli by teammates because he spices up attacks.The teetotal hero and straight-A student lives with his mother Adeniki and father Yomi who always order him to go to bed early before big games. They moved to Hertfordshire to be closer to Arsenals training ground last year.Meseret Degeti, 34, from Ethiopia and a mother of three boys, told MailOnline when she moved in two years ago, the Saka family introduced themselves by presenting her sons with a sack filled with 20 footballs.She said: They are so kind, friendly and always helpful. Bukayo and his brother helped me move furniture when I was moving in. Their father is just fantastic and his wife is very kind.Yomi gave my boys an X-box last Christmas and 40. He was always encouraging my sons to play football. He only told me his children played football and were good, but he did not say exactly how good. He still comes and visits, especially when I have issues with the house. He was here in April to sort out a plumbing issue. When they were living here, he would often drive my children to school.Bukayos Nigerian parents, who are devoted Christians, settled in Ealing when they came to the UK in the 1990s as economic migrants to give their unborn children a better life. But while their son wowed on the immaculate Wembley turf last night, it was a scrap of land outside his familys former terraced property in west London where it all began.Saka, who went to Edward Betham C of E Primary School and then Greenford High School, was always kicking a football in front of the house, said Loraine Cain, 62.She told MailOnline: They were a lovely, polite and very quiet family. Bukayo was never without a ball and was always kicking one around outside.Fellow neighbour Eileen Nolder, 91, said he had moved to be closer to the Arsenal football ground to give his son every chance of succeeding without having to leave home.She said: They are a lovely family, Yomi in particular. He was fantastic and the boys were lovely. There were a couple of times when an ambulance was called for me. Yoni noticed and came straight over to help. Anything you needed carrying or doing, he would come and do it. She added: Yomi was convinced his son was going to be a star and they moved to be closer to Arsenal. I was very sad when the family left.And like after every game, Bukayo, whose name hails from the West African Yoruba tribe and means adds to happinessstill lives with his parents Despite signing a four-year deal earning him a reported 10,000-a-week.He told arsenal.com: From the age of three or four I would be playing football at home with my dad, and my older brother, Yomi.It was always like that. We would play for hours. My dad and brother would want to go back inside but I never let them. We kept playing until I won. Im serious, you can ask them! As long as they were winning, I wouldnt let them back inside.He added: I still live with my parents, but weve moved away from Greenford now, closer to the training ground, and my brother has moved to Reading to go to university.Saka is also a hero to students at Greenford High School in Ealing, where his framed and signed Arsenal shirt is on the wall.His former PE teacher Mark Harvey told The Times: In the last year of doing GCSEs, Bukayo was out of school with Arsenal quite a bit, but he was brilliant.He knuckled down, got really good grades and came out with flying colours. In terms of a sportsman: superb. In terms of a student: role model.He added: The family were always insistent that schoolwork had to be addressed. Thankfully, Bukayo was brilliant with his studiesand it was never a concern for us.For Bukayo there was never any doubt he would choose England over his parents native Nigeria.He said recently: My whole family has been in England like forever. When I grew up all my documents stated that I am English, hopefully Nigerian people will understand.From the age of three he was playing football on a small green with his father Yomi and older brother Abayomi every night.He played for his local club, Greenford Celtic, until he was picked up by Arsenal, aged seven.
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