The 15-year-old youngster made history on Sunday when he became the youngest player to make his debut in a Premier League club
Arsenal star, Granit Xhaka has revealed what he told a Brentford player about Ethan Nwaneri who made his debut at 15 last Sunday.
Xhaka who has coached Nwaneri in the past while doing his batches said the player is very talented and has to be protected.
He added that he’s twice as old as the AngloNigerian and feels like an old player already and told a Brentford player on the pitch about his age.
“We have to check the passport first! I am joking,” said Xhaka as quoted by English tabloid.
“To have a guy who is 15, who is 15 years younger than me…he looks old when I see him but the club can be proud of a player like him.”
“He has a big future, if I am honest, I am doing my coaching license and I have trained the Under-16s. You can see a big difference with him and the other guys. He is very, very special.
“Of course you have to protect him as he is very young but if he keeps going like this with his hard work he has a big, big future.
“I spoke with one Brentford guy and I told him this guy was 15 and he looked at me and said: ‘F*** me, we are looking old!’
“So yes, of course, when you have 15 years difference you think: ‘Okay the time is not gone but it is on the way’. But we are enjoying him, he is enjoying us as he has the quality, ”
Nwaneri is expected to have more senior involvements after his debut.
“If I am honest, he is not with us a lot in training. I have maybe seen him twice or three times now. But he is very shy, of course, but the time will come when he will be more with us, but you have to protect him and help him.
“Football is not everything for him and for us but yes, the club will help him and the experienced players have to help him,”
