‘Listening to him’: Ian Wright left buzzing after what he’s just heard 22-year-old Arsenal player say

Add as preferred source on Google

Eddie Nketiah underlined his desire to make the Arsenal striker’s spot his own with a double in a 4-2 win at Chelsea.

There is an opportunity there to nail down a role in Mikel Arteta’s attack, with such uncertainty over the striking situation next season.

Nketiah’s contract runs out at the end of the season and he recently did an interview with the Beautiful Game podcast where he touched on a host of issues.

Former Gunners striker Ian Wright said on the Kelly and Wrighty Show that he was pleased with what he heard from the 22-year-old.

“I was thinking he was going to come back [from Leeds] with those guys not scoring and really make a real play for being the number nine because I think he’s got the box goalscoring ability to do it,” said Wright.

“Can he link up play and do that? You’re hoping he can as well. But what he hadn’t done was any of that. I’d not seen great movement or urgency in him to understand the opportunity that was lying right there for him to take and run with.

“That’s only his second start in a year, that’s damning, when you consider Arsenal have scored the least amount of goals in the top five.

“So to see him start and I still believe that Lacazette has got to a stage of his career where he doesn’t score the first goal and I’m not sure if he is going to score the second goal, with the hunger and determination to still be about it.

“But for him to do that now and listening to him do an interview the other day, where he’s saying he just wants to run. If I can get a run of games I believe I can get the goals together to score the goals in this team [is great].”

Wright knows what it takes to lead the line for Arsenal and has been one of Nketiah’s biggest supporters, following him when he went to Leeds.

But he will also know it is down to the man himself to push himself to the next level, shoving his way to the front of the queue and keeping himself there.

The only way to do that is playing well and scoring goals, and he should get the nod against Manchester United tomorrow.