Declan Rice was one of many Arsenal stars to send a message to Ethan Nwaneri after the Gunners’ win over West Ham United yesterday.
Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri made his second-ever first team appearance at the London Stadium yesterday, and Declan Rice was amongst those to congratulate the teenager.
At just 16-years-old, the Hale End academy gem has already garnered plenty of attention. Back in September 2022, Nwaneri became the youngest player in both Arsenal and Premier League history when he made his senior debut from the bench against Brentford.
Mikel Arteta has worked hard to ensure that the youngster is not exposed to too much too soon since then. Despite clamour from Arsenal fans who all desperate to see more from Nwaneri, the Spanish coach has largely kept the young sensation’s development behind the scenes.
However, with Arsenal already 6-0 against West Ham United yesterday in the 77th minute, it was the perfect opportunity to give the England under-17 international another taste of top flight action.
Ethan Nwaneri catches the eye of Arsenal stars
Nwaneri was able to impress in his time on the pitch, as he quickly got himself involved in the game. As per WhoScored statistics, the youngster enjoyed 21 touches of the ball, played one key pass, and won one aerial duel.
Arteta has been working with Nwaneri closely in training, and whilst it remains to be seen if the player will get another runout for the club this season, it is clear that they are expecting big things of him in the future in north London.
After the match, Nwaneri made a post on Instagram which attracted messages from many of his Arsenal teammates. The likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard, Ben White, and William Saliba posted replies, along with fellow academy sensations Myles Lewis-Skelly and Reuell Walters.
Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka commented, calling Nwaneri a “baller,” whilst Rice referred to him as a “special special talent.”
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