Jack Wilshere shares what Mikel Arteta says about Ethan Nwaneri

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Jack Wilshere has shared what Mikel Arteta says about Ethan Nwaneri as he shared how he is trying to help the Arsenal youngster make that step to the first-team.

Wilshere was speaking to The Times about his role as under-18 head coach at Arsenal. The Gunners have so many exciting young players knocking on the door.

Of course, the one Arsenal fans seem to really have their eye on is Ethan Nwaneri. The 16-year-old made his senior debut for the Gunners earlier this season.

In the process, the attacking midfielder became – by some way – the youngest player in Premier League history.

He has not featured for Arsenal’s first-team since. But Wilshere has had a chance to work closely with him over the last few months.

Wilshere shares what Arteta says about Nwaneri

He initially suggested that he wants to look out for Nwaneri, having been fully aware of the pressure that comes from bursting onto the scene so early.

But he also provided an insight into what Mikel Arteta thinks of Nwaneri with the under-18s looking to play the same way as the first-team.

“It is a new world for him, people talking about him on social media,” he told The Times. “I’ve been through that and we all have seen the iceberg picture of the footballer, where underneath you don’t see [how much is going on] and he’s in that phase where he’s struggling; is he at school? Is he training?”

“Mikel says ‘Ethan gets it’ and that’s why it’s so important that we have the same football language as them,” he added.

Of course, it is little surprise that Nwaneri has not featured more. He came on against Brentford right at the very end, when the game was already won.

Arsenal certainly have plenty to play for in the remaining weeks of the season – to put it lightly. It would do Nwaneri few favours to come on in a crucial game when the match is in the balance.

What Nwaneri can be sure of is that Arteta will be ready to give him a chance if he gets closer to reaching his potential.

Arsenal have the youngest squad in the league. Arteta has put his faith in the young players. And they have delivered.

Nwaneri appears to be in the perfect place for his development. And while he may not feature again this season, there is surely little doubt that we are going to hear a lot about Wilshere’s protege in the years to come.