Arsenal's Hale End academy has often been revered across the Premier League, but over the past few years it has taken that extra step forward. The implementation of Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson as regulars in the first team over the past year has only underlined the quality at the club and the pathway available.
The credit can be passed through the hierarchy, from academy manager Per Mertesacker to Mikel Arteta for the trust to give these players the game time they need to develop. One of the shining examples of this was when Ethan Nwaneri was handed his debut at Brentford, aged just 15 years old.
The midfielder had earned that opportunity after a host of injuries in the side, but progression is hardly linear and opportunities in the senior squad are hard to come by. Impressing for the under-18s and under-21s appears to be the way forward in gaining valuable experience, though his potential has been spotted elsewhere.
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Reports have previously claimed that both Manchester City and Chelsea are eyeing a potential switch for Nwaneri, given he is signed to just a youth contract at this stage. However, at Arsenal there may be a clearer path to football at the top level, something outlined by former midfield star and under-18s head coach Jack Wilshere.
Speaking with football.london about the youngster, he said: "Us as coaches, and I think it's important for Ethan that we've done this the way we have, I don't get involved in that. It's not for me, it is a Per, a Mikel one. All I care about with Ethan is when he goes over to the first-team, obviously he is still at school, he's so young, but when he goes over to first-team, how can we help him.
"Mikel says 'he gets it' and that's why it's so important that we align with the first-team, that we have the same football language. You've seen in the documentary, Mikel will talk about certain things and if we don't talk about those things and Ethan goes over there, Mikel says to him 'right, do this', Ethan would be saying: 'what?!'
"Us as coaches, that's what we focus on with Ethan, trying to give him the best platform, trying to give him a clear head. He has been exceptional in the Youth Cup as well and to be fair, he's been exceptional with what he's been doing, how he's managed school, his GCSEs. He does well at school as well by the way, which It's important - I know that Per really believes in that - 'better people, better players'.
"So for him to manage that, then obviously it is a new world for him, people talking about him on social media, will he stay, will he go? To manage that as well and still perform in the Youth Cup. Whatever he does, I wish him all the best and he deserves it because of the sacrifices he's made."
There may be few better coaches to explain that rise to stardom from a young age and how to handle it than Wilshere, who had just that experience with the Gunners. He continued: "I've been through that, and people don't see that - everyone would have seen that iceberg picture of the footballer where underneath you don't see it (how much is going on) and at the moment he's in that phase where he's struggling.
"But he's been exceptional and us as coaches, we don't get involved in and we don't talk about that and I think we have to make it clear as well as coaches we don't talk about that. That's nothing. Our job is to develop Ethan to help him when he goes with the first-team. We all hope he stays because he's an exceptional talent but at the moment it is to help him when he goes over there."
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