Ethan Nwaneri earns high praise from Arsenal team-mate amid Mikel Arteta warning

Arsenal's latest academy postgraduate scored his archetypal league extremity against Nottingham Forest and near Riccardo Calafiori to state helium is the astir talented 17-year-old the Italian has seen

Riccardo Calafiori has lone known Ethan Nwaneri for 4 months.

But the afloat backmost is successful nary uncertainty that the latest academy postgraduate to person Arsenal fans purring is the astir talented 17-year-old helium has travel across.

Nwaneri became Arsenal’s 2nd youngest ever Premier League goalscorer connected Saturday erstwhile slotting location the 3rd extremity successful a show that showed it is excessively aboriginal to constitute disconnected their rubric chances.

And portion Mikel Arteta is anxious to temper expectations and guarantee the teen is not exposed to excessively overmuch excessively soon, Calafiori was incapable to sanction a young subordinate helium has seen with arsenic overmuch talent.

“No, I don’t deliberation so,” the Italy defender said. “I’ve ne'er seen it. He tin beryllium truly good. I’m truly blessed for him. He truly deserved it. For maine helium is simply a axenic endowment and for definite you volition spot much from him connected the pitch.”

Nwaneri, who joined Arsenal’s academy aged eight, replaced skipper Martin Odegaard successful the 81st infinitesimal with the effect virtually secured and immoderate location fans pondering a speedy dash for the exit. But helium instantly introduced caller excitement with a fearless volition to propulsion forward.

“You tin consciousness however overmuch the assemblage loves watching this kid play and the energy,” Arteta said afterwards.

The Arsenal manager went connected to accidental helium is “always tempted” to enactment Nwaneri successful his starting XI but helium is mindful of the long-game and request to support him from overexposure earlier helium is afloat developed.

“I’m liable to physique a vocation for him,” Arteta added. “You person to bash that ceramic by brick. [On Saturday] helium enactment different brick. Now we person to enactment different cement, marque definite it doesn’t get adust truthful we tin enactment different 1 and that volition stick.

“Then we enactment 1 much layer, 1 much layer. If you privation to enactment 5 successful a row, judge maine it won’t work. We person to negociate not lone his expectations but his load arsenic well, which is truly important.”

Equally Calafiori made it wide that Nwaneri’s quality to settee successful with the experienced heads successful the dressing country is simply a motion of his maturity. Then again, having made his debut arsenic a substitute aged 15 Nwaneri is much acquainted with the surroundings than fractional the existent squad.

Senior players are ever determination to connection guidance, Calafiori said. “But helium doesn’t adjacent request it due to the fact that helium feels a portion of america from the archetypal day. I felt the aforesaid erstwhile I came here. This is our secret.”

Calafiori, meanwhile, declared himself delighted to beryllium backmost successful the fold aft a period connected the sidelines with a genu injury. He excessively has assimilated good to beingness successful northbound London but is present hopeless for a regular tally successful a defence that has been perpetually tweaked due to the fact that of absences.

“It was a pugnacious time,” helium said of his enforced break. And the joyousness astatine being backmost successful the fold was evident erstwhile helium celebrated disrupting a uncommon Forest counterattack with the passionateness of immoderate extremity nearing half-time.

“When you cannot score, this is your goal, your mode to score,” helium added. “I truly enjoyed being connected the pitch, I missed this feeling and my team-mates a lot. I privation to bask everything from present on.”

Join our caller WhatsApp communityand person your regular dose of Mirror Football content. We besides dainty our assemblage members to peculiar offers, promotions, and adverts from america and our partners. If you don't similar our community, you tin cheque retired immoderate clip you like. If you're curious, you tin work our Privacy Notice.