Amario Cozier-Duberry progressed through Arsenal’s Hale End system and was anticipated to emerge as the next promising talent for a club renowned for providing opportunities to young stars.
However, in 2024, Cozier-Duberry was still awaiting his debut for the Gunners – and he declined a contract extension at Arsenal, opting to join Brighton & Hove Albion instead.
Chris Flanagan: “When I observed Amario Cozier-Duberry, I contemplated whether we’d acquired the next Bukayo Saka.”
What constitutes ‘The Boy’s A Bit Special’?
FourFourTwo’s established ‘The Boy’s A Bit Special’ feature has been a fixture since the magazine’s inaugural edition, spotlighting the most promising young talents both domestically and internationally.
As of September 2025, it has undergone a revamp. Our youth football specialist, Joe Donnohue, will be profiling four emerging players each month, elaborating on why they are, indeed, a bit special.
I must concede that I was unfamiliar with Amario Cozier-Duberry upon his arrival at Bolton – however, after viewing his under-21 highlights, I pondered whether we had secured the next Bukayo Saka.
A compact, left-footed right winger, he swiftly gained popularity among supporters by scoring a remarkable goal into the upper corner during pre-season against Hibernian. He has replicated this feat several times in competitive matches since – providing him with space to shoot from the edge of the area proves costly.
If directed onto his right foot, he can swiftly reach the byline and provide a goal-scoring opportunity as well.
Having accumulated seven goals and six assists by mid-November, he has proven to be a League One game-changer thus far and has recently been awarded the division’s Player of the Month accolade – he frequently scores late in matches as defenders become fatigued, space becomes available, and he capitalizes on their vulnerability, utilizing his pace to devastating effect.
Supporters admire him due to his unwavering commitment to regaining possession, diligently challenging opponents.
It requires considerable effort for a loan player to exert the same influence at Bolton as James Trafford and Conor Bradley, but Cozier-Duberry is achieving precisely that – mirroring those two, he possesses evident potential to ultimately compete in the Premier League with Brighton.
The Seagulls retain a January recall option, and considerable speculation has arisen among supporters regarding its potential activation – Brighton has expressed encouraging sentiments regarding allowing him to complete the season with Bolton, however. After all, Louie Barry and Nathan Lowe were poised to secure the League One and League Two Player of the Year awards last season, only to be recalled by their respective parent clubs in January, before experiencing limited success in the latter half of the campaign.
Cozier-Duberry appears to be relishing his time in a team striving for promotion, supported by enthusiastic crowds exceeding 20,000 – presently, he is situated in the ideal environment for his development.
