Mikel Arteta lumps praise on ‘unique’ Ethan Nwaneri, likening the 16-year-old prodigy to Jack Wilshere… as several young Arsenal stars are in contention to feature in their Champions League clash against PSV
- Mikel Arteta compared 16-year-old Ethan Nwaneri to ex-Arsenal star Jack Wilshere
- Several youngsters are in the running to star for Arsenal in their match against PSV
- How do you ask a celebrity on a crowded train to move away from a seat you've reserved? It all starts
Arsenal's young players will battle for a run out against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, with the club taking top spot in the Champions League group.
The Gunners have teenagers Ethan Nwaneri, Reuell Walters and Lino Sousa in their squad and Mikel Arteta has singled out 16-year-old Nwaneri for high praise, comparing the attacking midfielder to Jack Wilshere.
Nwaneri became the Premier League's youngest player in September 2022 when he came off the bench in a 3-0 win over Brentford at the age of 15, but has not featured for the first team since.
He scored five in a 7-1 Under 18s win against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday – and if he plays on Tuesday he will be Arsenal's youngest ever player in the Champions League.
Arsenal's impressive youth set-up has hit the headlines in recent weeks after 16-year-old Chido Obi-Martin scored ten goals against Liverpool Under 16s.
Mikel Arteta has spoken highly of promising 16-year-old Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri
The Spanish manager compared Arsenal's new talent to former Gunners midfielder Jack Wilshere
Several young Arsenal stars could feature in their Champions League match against PSV
Speaking about Nwaneri, Arteta said: “One unique thing he has is his ability to get the ball in tight spaces and escape like Jack Wilshere used to do.
“Because of the personality he has, he trains with us like he trains with the Under 18s and I think that's great.
Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri is 10th on the list of youngest players to ever play in a Champions League match in football history
“He has that thing in his teeth that he wants to show how good he is every day. When you have someone like that, you have to give him hope too.
'I think it was a strong sign for him (making his Premier League debut) that this was his place to continue to develop.'
Full-backs Walters and Sousa, both 18, are yet to make their competitive debuts, although Walters has been on the bench for the last two league matches and is likely to start.
The defender has been at Arsenal since 2020 and is currently in contract talks, with clubs in the Premier League and Europe monitoring him.
Senior left back Oleksandr Zinchenko has been criticized for his defensive behaviour, including after a mistake against Wolves earlier this month.
Before the match against PSV, he admitted that his concentration was a problem.
Zinchenko said: 'I know I make mistakes every day. I learn from it. The most important thing is to understand that we are all human, we make mistakes.
'Sometimes I lose concentration. You have to realize where and try to avoid them in the future.”
Nwaneri became the youngest player in Premier League history at the age of 15 when he came off the bench in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Brentford in 2022, but he has not played for them since.
