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Arsenal prodigy Ethan Nwaneri became the youngest player to feature in a Premier League game when made his debut appearance for the Gunners during their 3-0 victory over Brentford last weekend.
The 15-year-old has been in the spotlight since then and former Liverpool midfielder John Barnes has warned the Londoners against mounting pressure on the youngster.
Ethan Nwaneri has joined a host of brilliant young talents to impress at the Emirates Stadium in recent months. John Barnes reckons that it is indeed a good thing to see the Gunners giving chances to young players but doesn't think the 15-year-old is ready to stick with the first team at the moment.
"If you look at the future, the future looks bright for Arsenal in terms of a lot of the young players," Barnes told BonusCodeBets via Metro. "Saka, you know, Martinelli, Odegaard. They’ve got a good, young team. But a 15-year-old being given his debut?"
"You should leave him alone because of course, Theo Walcott made his debut at 16 and this young boy coming in is not going to be anywhere near Arsenal’s first team to be honest with you, when push comes to shove."
He added:
"It’s great for Arsenal to say we’ve got good young players coming through. But all of a sudden, I don’t want people to then put so much pressure on this young boy because he made his debut to say he should be playing all the time. It’s great for him and great for Arsenal for the future."
The Englishman also warned that Nwaneri shouldn't be compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of becoming a regular with the first team at a tender age. He said:
"I’m not saying it’s a gimmick because he’s good enough to obviously be playing but I don’t think it’s a situation whereby you’re looking at a Lionel Messi at 16 or Cristiano Ronaldo knowing that he’s going to go in the team and play every week."
He added:
"So it’s good news at Arsenal pushing their youngsters through but I don’t want to put pressure on this young boy and all of a sudden overemphasize that he should be playing this season or even next season."
Arsenal continue their march for glory in the Premier League
Thanks to their 3-0 victory over Brentford on Sunday, the Gunners maintained their spot at the top of the league table. So far, they've garnered 18 points from seven games, having recorded six victories and one defeat to their name.
Up next, Mikel Arteta's men will take on Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, October 1. It remains to be seen if they can maintain their momentum going forward.
