Aidy Boothroyd lauds Arsenal youngster Eddie Nketiah

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Aidy Boothroyd has tipped Eddie Nketiah for a big future, and insisted that the Arsenal youngster’s whole game is improving, in comments reported by the Daily Mirror.

Nketiah is on the cusp of becoming the all-time leading goalscorer for England’s under-21s. He now has 13 goals in just 11 appearances for the side.

The 21-year-old has a chance to go past Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers on Wednesday when the Three Lions face Turkey.

And judging by Boothroyd’s comments ahead of the game, it would come as little surprise to him if he set the new benchmark before returning to the Gunners.

The U21 boss made an exciting claim concerning Nketiah’s potential, and added that he sets the standard for all of the players who will feature for the side in years to come.

“Eddie is destined for some big things. How far can he go? He will have to be playing regular games for his club and be scoring goals,” he said, as reported by the Mirror.

“I’ve had him for two and a half years now and we’ve seen him get stronger and stronger as he has gone along.

“He does score and creates. I counted a previous game he made 20 runs before he got the ball. He had patience. Some get frustrated,” he went on to add.

“He is driving between the lines and trying to find that inch that gets you the goal. His movements and his whole game is improving.”

TBR View: Nketiah already making statement with involvement in Arsenal side

It is already a huge achievement for Nketiah to be in the fold at the Emirates. As a forward, it looks like an incredibly difficult time to get into Mikel Arteta’s plans.

The likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have proved to be two of Arsenal’s best signings in recent years.

But Nketiah has featured in all four of their Premier League games this season. He has also bagged a winning goal in one of those appearances.

So the early signs hint that there looks to be every chance that the youngster will live up to Boothroyd’s expectations in the coming years.