Granit Xhaka has praised Arsenal debutant Ethan Nwaneri as a “very special” talent, but believes the club must now “protect” the 15-year-old.
After the game, Arteta claimed that he gave the young player his first bow because of a “gut feeling.”
With goals from William Saliba, Gabriel Jesus, and Fabio Vieira, Arsenal already had the victory in hand when he entered the game in the dying minutes of the second half.
Nwaneri (15 years 181 days) replaced Harvey Elliott (16 years 83 days) as the Premier League’s youngest player ever.
What Did Xhaka Say About Nwaneri?
Xhaka gave his thoughts on Nwaneri’s record-breaking debut. “To have a guy who is 15, who is 15 years younger than me…he looks old when I see him but the club can be proud of a player like him,” Xhaka said.
‘I’m doing my coaching license& trained U16s. You can see a big difference with Nwaneri & other guys. He’s very special.I spoke with one Brentford guy & told him this guy was 15. He looked at me & said: “F*** me, we are old!”
– Xhaka
(@AdrianJKajumba)https://t.co/TzmrGMJa6r
— Doc (@karthikadhaigal) September 20, 2022
He has a big future, if I am honest, I am doing my coaching licence and I have trained the Under-16s. You can see a big difference with him and the other guys. He is very, very special.
“Of course you have to protect him as he is very young but if he keeps going like this with his hard work he has a big, big future.
“I spoke with one Brentford guy and I told him this guy was 15 and he looked at me and said: ‘F*ck me, we are looking old!”
Nwaneri might get more appearances this season, especially in the Europa League, where Arsenal has a history of showcasing up-and-coming talents.
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