'He can be really good' - Arsenal defender reveals Nwaneri is the best 17yo he has played with

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has admitted that Ethan Nwaneri is the best 17-year-old he has played with.

The midfielder of Nigerian descent grabbed the headlines as Arsenal defeated Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the Emirates on Saturday, by getting on the scoresheet in the encounter and broke multiple records in the process.

He is the youngest player of Nigerian descent to score in the Premier League, overtaking Victor Anichebe, who was the previous holder of the record, while he is also the youngest player after Cesc Fabregas to score for the Gunners in the championship.

Additionally, he is the first player born in 2007 to score in the English top-flight but is the 9th youngest to do so with former Everton forward James Vaughan being top of the list.

Calafiori has been stunned by the talent of the England youth international and has admitted that he hasn't seen any 17-year-old play as well as he does.

"No, I don’t think so. I’ve never seen it. He can be really good." he told The Standard.

Unsurprisingly, the Italian defender also stated that Nwaneri's best is yet to come and revealed how he has been helped by the senior members of the team.

"I’m really happy for him,” he said. "He really deserved it. For me, he is a pure talent and for sure you will see more from him on the pitch.

"Yes [senior players are helping him settle], but they (young players) don’t even need it because they feel a part of us from the first day. I felt the same when I came here. This is our secret

The 17-year-old is still pushing for his first-ever start in the Premier League but Mikel Arteta has called for patience regarding the call to hand the talented midfielder his full debut.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

Photo Credit: arsenal.com

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