Arsenal wonderkid scores important goal to send National side to U17 Euros quarter-finals

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Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri is continuing to shine for club and country, and he has stood out for England under-17s in their European Championships campaign.

Nwaneri scored in England’s opening game of the tournament which saw the Three Lions smash France 4-0, but their hopes of reaching the knockout stage looked in jeopardy after a 4-1 defeat to Portugal.

However, they remained resolute in their final match to beat Spain 3-1, setting up a quarter-final which will see them face Italy.

England have several top talents in their ranks, and Nwaneri is among the very best of them, and he proved this with his crucial goal against Spain.

Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri scores in England U17 Euros victory over Spain

England were heading into the final 10 minutes of the game 2-1 up, but on a knife edge. Any dropped points could have seen them fail to reach the knockout stages, and they found themselves under heavy late pressure.

This was until Nwaneri stepped up to deliver for his team, and secure their place in the knockouts. The midfielder timed a run to perfection during a counter-attack to slot home in a 1v1 with the goalkeeper.

The 17-year-old showed great composure to place the ball in the bottom corner, and the goal came as some relief for him and his teammates as they saw off what was a tricky encounter.

Ethan Nwaneri enjoying a fine tournament for England u17s

Nwaneri has carried his fine form from the Arsenal Academy over to the England youth setup, and has now scored twice in three games at the tournament.

Arsenal fans were quick to praise him after his excellent goal against France, and whilst this strike against Spain was less eye-catching, it was perhaps more important.

This tournament is a good test of how Nwaneri can step up to deliver in big moments as a key part of his team, and the upcoming game against Italy will be a good measure of how he can handle the pressure of knockout football at youth level.

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Nwaneri is quickly becoming a candidate for more regular football next season, and the potential departures of Emile Smith Rowe and Charlie Patino may be sanctioned knowing that the teenager is waiting in the wings to step up and replace them in the long run.