Arsenal moved to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 5-1 win against Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday night because of a mixture of youth and experience.
One of the stand-out performances was Ethan Nwaneri who grabbed his maiden goal for Arsenal in the first half before greeting shouts of “he’s one of our own” with his brace.
Supporters at Emirates Stadium enjoyed what they saw, so much they began singing “Ethan Nwaneri, he’s one of our own.”
“I’m buzzing,” he stated after the contest. “I’m so happy to have helped the team go through to the next round and just ready for whatever’s next.”
“He’s improving daily,” Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coach, remarked when queried about the youngster after the match. “They really respect him. You can tell he’s playing without pressure, with confidence, with a way of making decisions that tell you that the boy is ready at this level. Today he had a pretty solid performance and I’m glad to see that.”
Read Also: N/Assembly inaugurates complaints commission’s executives
It was outlines a few things you should know about this next Nigerian-eligible player to graduate from the Arsenal’s Hale End academy following Alex Iwobi and Bukayo Saka.
Early life
Ethan Chidiebere Nwaneri was born on 21 March 2007 in Enfield, London.
He attended St John’s Senior School in Enfield. He is of Igbo-Nigerian heritage.
Club career
Nwaneri joined Arsenal at nine years old. By the age of 14, he was already playing for their under-18 side. Predominantly, he plays as a midfielder.
Nwaneri started the 2022–23 season playing for Arsenal’s under-18s, but he rapidly promoted to the club’s under-21 team.
Having made a lone appearance in the 2022–23 Premier League 2, he joined the first team for training in September and made his first senior matchday squad on 18 September when he was picked as a replacement for the Premier League match against Brentford.
Coming off the bench to replace Fábio Vieira in second-half stoppage time, he became the youngest player to ever appear in the Premier League at the age of 15 years and 181 days – breaking the record previously held by Harvey Elliott, and the all-time English top-flight record held since August 1964 by former Sunderland goalkeeper Derek Forster, by three days.
He also became Arsenal’s youngest-ever player in any tournament, breaking the previous record of 16 years and 177 days, established by Cesc Fàbregas in the 2003–04 League Cup.
In June 2023, with his schoolboy terms ending, Nwaneri signed to a new deal with Arsenal on scholarship terms with an agreement for a professional contract at his seventeenth birthday on 21 March 2024.
Nwaneri featured as a substitute in the 2023–24 season in the Premier League in Arsenal’s 6–0 triumph away against West Ham United, coming on in the 77th minute.
On 25 September 2024, Nwaneri scored his first senior goals as he struck a brace against Bolton Wanderers in the third round of the EFL Cup, propelling the Gunners to a 5–1 triumph.
Read Also: Falz: How Bobrisky pleaded for financial assistance to get VIP treatment in prison
International career
After impressing in qualification, Nwaneri was included in the England squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship on 17 May 2023.
He scored the winner in the opening match against Croatia at Balmazújvárosi Városi Sportpálya.
On 2 November 2023, Nwaneri was included in the England squad for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
He scored his only goal of the tournament in their opening group game against New Caledonia in Jakarta.
Nwaneri also featured in the remaining group matchups against Iran and Brazil. He came off the bench as a substitute during their round of sixteen defeat to Uzbekistan.
On 20 May 2024, the kid was chosen in the England squad for the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
He once again scored in the opening game of the competition, this time a 4-0 win over France in Larnaca.
Nwaneri also scored in a group-stage triumph over Spain. His third and last goal of the competition came in their quarter-final elimination against Italy.
Style of play
Nwaneri is a skillful, creative and attack-minded midfielder.
He has been labeled as a player that can function as a “number 10” but can play any attacking position, having an instinctive capacity to receive and dribble with the ball at his feet while also contributing defensively.
He is comfortable in both wide and central spots.
