Ethan Nwaneri

Early career

Nwaneri joined Arsenal at the age of eight. By the age of 14, he was already playing for their under-18 side. Nwaneri played alongside friend and teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly at the academy.

Arsenal

2022–23 season

Nwaneri started the 2022–23 season playing for Arsenal under-18s, but he quickly advanced to the club's under-21 side. Having made a sole appearance in the 2022–23 Premier League 2, he joined the first team for training in September, and made his first senior matchday squad on 18 September when he was named as a substitute for the Premier League match against Brentford. Coming off the bench to replace Fábio 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 by Harvey Elliott, and the all-time English top-flight record held since August 1964 by former Sunderland goalkeeper Derek Forster, by three days. He also became Arsenal's youngest-ever player in any competition, breaking the previous record of 16 years and 177 days, set by Cesc Fàbregas in the 2003–04 League Cup. In the post-match press conference, manager Mikel 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 captain Martin Ødegaard, and a "gut feeling" was behind his decision to send Nwaneri on. In June 2023, with his…

Nwaneri is eligible to represent Nigeria and France through his parents, but has chosen to represent England at youth level. After starring in qualifying, Nwaneri was named in the England squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship on 17 May 2023. He scored the winner in the opening match against Croatia at Balmazújvárosi Városi Sportpálya. On 2 November 2023, Nwaneri was included in the England squad for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He scored his only goal of the tournament in their opening group game against New Caledonia in Jakarta. Nwaneri also played in the other group fixtures against Iran and Brazil. He came off the bench as a substitute during their round of sixteen defeat against Uzbekistan. On 20 May 2024, Nwaneri was included in the England squad for the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He once again scored in the opening game of the tournament, this time a 4–0 win over France in Larnaca. Nwaneri also scored in a group stage victory over Spain. His third and last goal of the competition came in their quarter-final elimination against Italy. On his 18th birthday, 21 March 2025, Nwaneri made his England U21 debut as a substitute during a 5–3 defeat to France in Lorient. Just 3 days later he scored his first goal for England U21 in his first full debut to bring England 4–2 victory against Portugal. Nwaneri was selected for England's squad at the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, featuring in all six matches, including the final in which…

As of match played 5 September 2026

Ethan Nwaneri was born on 21 March 2007 at Whittington Hospital in Islington, London, to a Nigerian father of Igbo origin, and an English-French mother. He attended St John's Senior School in Islington, North London.