Ethan Nwaneri Becomes Premier League’s Youngest Player

Ethan Nwaneri, a midfielder for Arsenal F.C., became the Premier League’s youngest player on Sunday (September 18).

According to ESPN, Nwaneri checked into the game for Fabio Viera in the 90th minute of play at the Brentford Community Stadium in the United Kingdom.

The record for youngest-ever senior player on Arsenal was previously held by Cesc Fabregas, who was16 years of age at the time.

“It’s another step, another experience. In your career all the steps are not going to be forward. After that maybe he needs three backwards to go another forward, but I think he deserved it,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “ It sends a really strong message about who we are as a club as well.”

Arteta wanted Nwaneri to experience firsthand what it’s like to be a part of the club. Everything from staying in the hotel to game preparation, and also being involved with other players.

“If you’re going to be on that bench you have to be ready. The boy just looks in your eyes and he’s ready. All the decisions that we take and that I take are for the club. It’s not for me, it’s not for the player, it’s because we believe that he has a talent that has to be developed incredibly in the next two or three years. We will see how we manage that but the boy will dictate. Normally it’s not us, normally the players tell you and demand of you how far you can go on that.”