‘Oh my word’: Michael Owen reacts to Ethan Nwaneri’s debut for Arsenal

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Michael Owen couldn’t quite believe it as Ethan Nwaneri became the Premier League’s youngest-ever player for Arsenal at the age of 15, yes 15, feeling old?!

Arsenal beat Brentford 3-0 at the Brentford Community Stadium on Sunday and, in stoppage-time, Mikel Arteta handed the attacking midfielder a moment he will never forget.

Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott was previously the Premier League’s youngest-ever player in 2019 when he was handed debut honours in the colours of Fulham – he was 16 years and 30 days old.

Well, Nwaneri has smashed that record because, at the age of 15 and 181 days, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this record stands for a pretty long while.

It’s a brave call from Arteta to throw the youngster in the lion’s den because this isn’t the Arsenal boss just trying to make up the numbers, or him feeling sympathetic towards the player, but Nwaneri earning this shot.

During his playing days, Owen himself burst onto the scene as a fresh-faced teenager, so he knows everything about being thrust into the limelight at a very young age, as he reacted to Nwaneri’s on Premier League Productions (18/09/22 at 2:00 pm).

“And smashed the record, hasn’t he?!” said Owen. “Look at that. He’s not even 15-and-a-half yet. Listen, I have children, it’s only when you look at your own children and think ‘Oh my word, my son’s older than him’.

“My son is 16 and I look at that and think, how? It’s unbelievable. He must have been showing plenty. I know Arsenal have had plenty of injuries, but still, to put a 15-year-old on the bench and then bring him on, he must be showing something.”

ETHAN NWANERI…REMEMBER THE NAME

This is hopefully the start of a road to success for Nwaneri and he has the perfect coach to nurture him because the limelight will now be on his head.

Arteta has shown with Gabriel Martinelli that he can elevate a highly-rated teenager and help him become a first-team regular.

Now, Martinelli was a few years older when he joined Arsenal, but given that he was a teenager at the time in a foreign country after leaving Brazil, it wouldn’t have been easy for the young star.

Either way, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Arsenal fans see more of Nwaneri this season, especially given the Europa League would be the perfect place for the midfielder to be handed more minutes.