Jack Wilshere believes that Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri has ‘stepped up another level’ this season despite his limited minutes in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Nwaneri enjoyed a breakthrough season in an Arsenal shirt last season, making 26 appearances in the Premier League and scoring four times.
The teenager’s form saw him rewarded with a new, long-term contract in the summer, but the 18-year-old has found playing opportunities harder to come by this season.
Increased competition after the summer arrivals of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke has seen Nwaneri play just 130 minutes in the league, with his only start this season coming against Port Vale in the Carabao Cup.
But Wilshere is still incredibly encouraged by the progress he has seen from Nwaneri this season, despite the small sample size.
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‘Ethan has stepped up his game another level this year, Wilshere, who coached Nwaneri during his time with Arsenal’s academy, told talkSPORT.
‘Ethan has got magic and people are starting to see that a little bit more now.
‘I think he probably took a bit of time to understand what Mikel wanted out of possession and exactly what he wanted in possession, but he has some ability.’
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka’s return to fitness, as well as the impressive start made by summer signing Eze, could force Nwaneri to be patient for game time in the coming months.
However, Wilshere is confident that the teenager’s incredible versatility means he will certainly be called upon at some point in the season.
‘When I had Ethan, I played him off the wing, I played him inside, I played him a little bit deeper, which was nice as well with the game in front of him, but I also played him as a number nine,’ he added.
‘He was almost like a bit of a false nine, and he would find spaces and pull of into areas where defenders don’t want to go and he can obviously turn the game forward.
‘One thing that we haven’t seen that much, and I think it takes longer for any young player when they get into the first team, is his dribbling ability.
‘Ethan can get at players, he can beat players, so I would like to see him centrally at some point.’
Along with Nwaneri, fellow Hale End graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly has also found minutes hard to come by this season after proving such a pivotal player last season.
But speaking before the Gunners’ trip to West Ham, Arteta insisted that both will get more opportunities this season when the time is right.
‘I work with what the boys can provide in the context that the team is playing in at the moment,’ he said.
‘Ethan has played two games in the Premier League very early because of an injury to Martin as well. He played in other competitions and he will play more.
‘With Myles, it’s the same, but sometimes it’s form, sometimes it’s the fact that we want to do certain things in relation to the position and that’s it.
‘What I want is for them to be in the state that they are in. They have to be used and when they are playing, whether it is to a starter game or for a few minutes, they are fully ready and both of them have been really good at that.’
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