Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard believes Under-18s coach Jack Wilshere is the perfect person to nurture teenage star Ethan Nwaneri.
Nwaneri shot to fame last month when he became the youngest player in Premier League history, coming on against Brentford to make his professional debut at the age of just 15.
Odegaard was the same age when he made his own senior debut, turning out for Norwegian side Strømsgodset before joining Real Madrid a year later.
The midfielder has been impressed by Nwaneri, who has trained with the Arsenal first team on more than one occasion, and believes Wilshere is the perfect mentor for him.
Wilshere came through Arsenal’s academy to star for the first team and now coaches the club’s Under-18s team after retiring in July.
“At the end of that Brentford game Ethan Nwaneri came on and became our youngest ever player aged 15,” Odegaard said. “It’s similar to my story in a way, because I was about the same age when I made my professional debut.
“The big difference though is that I was doing it at a Norwegian club and Ethan is at Arsenal! But then I went to Madrid and played there at the age of 16, so it’s a bit similar. What I think is important now is to not put extra pressure on Ethan by speaking about him too much.
“We should just give him time to keep on developing his game. Obviously he’s got lots of talent and I’m sure he can make a big future for himself, but we need to give him space and time to carry on working without pressure.
“He needs to keep on playing, keep enjoying his football, keep working hard and then you will get what you deserve. For me that’s the most important thing to tell him - keep working hard, keep pushing hard every day, stay humble and then your talent will be rewarded.
“He has lots of people around him to help him with his journey - and nobody will know better than his under-18 coach Jack Wilshere, because he was in that position at Arsenal too. I’m sure he’s in great hands and he will keep on working now, but he should be proud of making his debut too.”
