Arsenal attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri impressed last night as the England under-21 team secured a 4-2 victory over the Portugal under-21s, grabbing a beautiful goal after being handed his first start, and his Manchester City counterpart James McAtee has admitted to being blown away with his performances in training.
The 18-year-old Gunners star has been a key player for the North Londoners so far this term, with eight goals and an assist to his name in 29 games across all competitions.
Nwaneri was tipped to make the senior England squad when manager Thomas Tuchel announced his team this month, but he had to settle for a place in the under-21s and he has been showing why he deserves to be playing with the big boys in training and on the pitch.
“He’s a class player and in training he’s been unbelievable,” McAtee told the Daily Mail.
“I’m so impressed with him. I was doing finishing drills with him the other day and he was ridiculous, he wasn’t missing!
“I was struggling to get them in and he just wasn’t missing, both feet as well. He’s a world-class player.”
Having weighed in with six goals in 21 appearances for Man City so far in 2024-25, McAtee knows a thing or two about the struggles to get regular playing minutes in a top Premier League club, and the quality of his Arsenal counterpart has impressed him.
Nwaneri will be looking forward to keep proving himself for the Gunners as the campaign approaches its end, and a strong finish to the season could boost his chances of forcing his way into Tuchel’s team.
Going to the 2026 World Cup will be top of his plans heading into next season, and he has what it takes to get himself on the plane despite the plethora of options available to the Three Lions boss in the position.