 Nwaneri in 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ethan Chidiebere Nwaneri[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (2007-03-21)21 March 2007 (age 18)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Islington, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.76 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder,winger[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Arsenal | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 22 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2024 | Arsenal | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Arsenal | 34 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | England U16 | 6 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | England U17 | 27 | (15) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | England U19 | 9 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| 2025– | England U21 | 13 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19:08, 23 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 13:24, 19 November 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Ethan Chidiebere Nwaneri (born 21 March 2007) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as anattacking midfielder orwinger forPremier League clubArsenal and theEngland U21 national team.
Born inNorth London, Nwaneri joinedArsenal's Academy at the age of eight. He made his Premier League debut againstBrentford on 18 September 2022, becoming the youngest player to appear in the top flight of English football, at 15 years and 181 days old.[3][4]
Ethan Chidiebere Nwaneri was born on 21 March 2007 at Whittington Hospital inIslington, London, to anIgbo Nigerian father, and an English-French mother.[2] He attended St John's Senior School inEnfield, North London.[5]
Nwaneri joinedArsenal at the age of eight. By the age of 14, he was already playing for their under-18 side. Nwaneri developed alongside friend and teammateMyles Lewis-Skelly at the academy.[6]
Nwaneri started the 2022–23 season playing for Arsenal under-18s, but he quickly advanced to the club's under-21 side.[7] Having made a sole appearance in the2022–23 Premier League 2, he joined the first team for training in September,[8] and made his first senior matchday squad on 18 September when he was named as a substitute for thePremier League match againstBrentford.[9] Coming off the bench to replaceFábio Vieira in second-half stoppage time, he became the youngest player to ever appear in the Premier League at the age of 15 years and 181 days – breaking the record previously held byHarvey Elliott,[10][11] and the all-time English top-flight record held since August 1964 by formerSunderland goalkeeperDerek Forster, by three days.[4][12] He also became Arsenal's youngest-ever player in any competition, breaking the previous record of 16 years and 177 days, set byCesc Fàbregas in the2003–04 League Cup.[12][13] In the post-match press conference, managerMikel Arteta explained that they had to name Nwaneri and two other under-21 players on the bench because the first team had several injuries, especially the injury of midfielder and captainMartin Ødegaard, and a "gut feeling" was behind his decision to send Nwaneri on.[9][14][15]
In June 2023, with his schoolboy terms ending, Nwaneri agreed to a new deal with Arsenal on scholarship terms with an agreement for a professional contract upon his seventeenth birthday on 21 March 2024.[16]
Nwaneri played as a substitute in the 2023–24 season in the Premier League in Arsenal's 6–0 win away againstWest Ham United, coming on in the 77th minute. In the post-match press conference, Arteta mentioned "the players on the bench whispering to bring Ethan on, which is a great thing to hear".[17]
On 25 September 2024, Nwaneri scored his first senior goals when he netted a brace againstBolton Wanderers in the third round of theEFL Cup, helping the Gunners to a 5–1 victory.[18] He scored an outside-the-box shot againstPreston North End in the following round.[19] He scored his first goal in thePremier League on 23 November in Arsenal's 3–0 win home againstNottingham Forest after getting subbed on in the 82nd-minute.[20] This made him the ninth-youngest goalscorer in the league's history at 17 years, 247 days old.[21]
On 4 January 2025, Nwaneri scored in a 1–1 draw againstBrighton & Hove Albion, becoming the third player to score at least five goals in a season before turning 18, followingMichael Owen andWayne Rooney.[22] Later that month, on 29 January, he netted his firstUEFA Champions League goal, securing a 2–1 away win overGirona.[23] Four days later, on 2 February, Nwaneri scored the fifth and final goal in a 5–1 win overManchester City, curling in a stoppage-time strike from just outside the penalty box.[24] Nwaneri was namedMan of the Match following his performance againstLeicester City, where he hit the woodwork twice and provided an assist forMikel Merino in the 2–0 victory. On 4 March, Nwaneri scored the second of seven Arsenal goals away atPSV Eindhoven in the Champions League Last-16.[25]
On 19 June 2025, it was announced that Nwaneri was one of six nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.[26]
On 8 August 2025, Nwaneri signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.[27][28]
Nwaneri is eligible to representNigeria andFrance through his parents, but has chosen to represent England at youth level.[29] After starring in qualifying, Nwaneri was named in theEngland squad for the2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship on 17 May 2023.[30] He scored the winner in the opening match againstCroatia atBalmazújvárosi Városi Sportpálya.[31]
On 2 November 2023, Nwaneri was included in the England squad for the2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[32] He scored his only goal of the tournament in their opening group game againstNew Caledonia inJakarta.[33] Nwaneri also played in the other group fixtures againstIran andBrazil.[34][35] He came off the bench as a substitute during their round of sixteen defeat againstUzbekistan.[36]
On 20 May 2024, Nwaneri was included in the England squad for the2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.[37] He once again scored in the opening game of the tournament, this time a 4–0 win overFrance inLarnaca.[38] Nwaneri also scored in a group stage victory overSpain.[39] His third and last goal of the competition came in their quarter-final elimination againstItaly.[40]
On his 18th birthday, 21 March 2025, Nwaneri made hisEngland U21 debut as a substitute during a 5–3 defeat toFrance inLorient.[41]Just 3 days later he scored his first goal for England U21 in his first full debut to bring England 4–2 victory againstPortugal.[42]
Nwaneri was selected for England’s squad at the2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, featuring in all six matches,[43] including thefinal in which the England U21's secured the title for a second consecutive tournament.[44]
Nwaneri has been labelled as a player who can operate as a "number 10" but can play every attacking position, with an innate capacity to receive and dribble with the ball at his feet while also contributing defensively. He is comfortable in both wide and central roles.[45]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal U21 | 2022–23[46] | — | — | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2023–24[47] | — | — | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||||||
| Arsenal | 2022–23[46] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023–24[47] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024–25[48] | Premier League | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7[b] | 2 | — | 37 | 9 | ||
| 2025–26[49] | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2[b] | 0 | — | 10 | 1 | ||
| Total | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 10 | ||
| Career total | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 53 | 10 | ||
Arsenal U21
England U21
