Manager hails Arsenal youngster as a leader, thinks he’ll have huge future

Follow us on Google Discover

England under-21 boss Aidy Bothroyd has told Goal.com that Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah is destined to reach the top.

Nketiah has just matched the record to become England’s top scorer of all time at under-21 level.

And his international manager insists that the sky is the limit for the Arsenal youngster in the coming years.

“There’s no doubt about it. He’s destined for big things,” Bothroyd said.
”His personality and his persona around the lads, he has an aura of responsibility and leadership about him.

“He’s a natural, all the players like and respect him. We know what he gives on the pitch but he’s good off the pitch. This is what we want our young England players to look like.

“How far can he go? He’ll have to play regular games for his club.

“He’s been getting good opportunities and he has been scoring goals and putting in good performances. I’ve worked with him for nearly three years and seen him get stronger and stronger. Hopefully we can see him take that next step to become a regular with Arsenal and then the seniors.”

Thankfully for Nketiah he has a manager at Arsenal who truly believes in him.

Nketiah was out on loan when Mikel Arteta arrived, but the Gunners boss recalled him and was so impressed with his performances in training that he kept him around.

Nketiah now seems to be an important member of Arsenal’s first-team squad, with Arteta giving him plenty of chances to impress.

The 21-year-old has already rewarded his manager for keeping faith in him, as he has two goals to his name this season.

And it would be no shock to see Nketiah named in Arsenal’s starting line-up at the weekend against Manchester City, as Arteta may want to use his pace to stretch Pep Guardiola’s side’s defence.