17-Year-Old Nigerian Midfielder Trains With Arsenal First Team Ahead Of Spurs Clash

Highly-rated Nigerian youngster James Olayinka trained with the first team of Arsenal on Friday morning, ahead of the Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal youth-team expert Jeorge Bird says the 17-year-old was amongst four academy players in attendance at the training session, the others being Eddie Nketiah and goalkeepers Matt Macey and Deyan Iliev.

A full-blooded midfielder, Olayinka can also be deployed as a winger and has scored two goals for Arsenal U18s this term.

With the first year scholar featuring for the U18s against Norwich City on Friday afternoon, he is out of the reckoning to make the Gunners squad for tomorrow's clash against Tottenham.

Another Nigerian player that won't be considered by manager Arsene Wenger is Chuba Akpom, with the striker starting for the U23s in their Premier League International Cup encounter against Porto on Friday evening.

Super Eagles winger Alex Iwobi was pictured training with the first team and is in line to make his sixth Premier League appearance against Spurs.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : arsenalyouth.wordpress.com