Mikel Arteta reveals why Ethan Nwaneri is forced to use different dressing room from teammates
Mikel Arteta has revealed that Ethan Nwaneri uses a different changing room to his teammates due to his age. The 17-year-old came off the bench to net Arsenal’s fifth goal in their 5-1 demolition of Manchester City on Sunday. GettyEthan Nwaneri has impressed for Arsenal during what has turned out to be a breakout season for the winger[/caption] It was the latest in a line of impressive moments from the winger who is enjoying a breakout season in the Gunners’ first team. Nwaneri has now scored in back-to-back games having netted a superb effort in last week’s 2-1 Champions League win at Girona. But his brush with the club’s first-team stars has been a muted one so far as he is not allowed to change in the same changing room as his teammates due to a strict safeguarding policy. Premier League safeguarding rules state that players must be 18 or older to share a dressing room with the senior squad. “Ethan cannot be in our dressing room still, which is unbelievable,” Arteta explained. “He needs to get dressed somewhere else, even on match day.” Meanwhile, Arteta has pointed to Nwaneri’s long-standing friendship with Myles Lewis-Skelly as a catalyst for his recent success. The pair have been close friends since breaking into the club’s academy. “When you see those two [Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri] walking next to each other, talking to each other, there is a bond there and a chemistry there,” Arteta said ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle. “I imagine for them it is special because at the moment they are still in different dressing rooms. “So to have somebody close to him that has that trust, that confidence, that link, I think it is lucky. GettyLewis-Skelly and Nwaneri has continued their budding friendship which began in the Arsenal academy[/caption] “They are very lucky to have each other.” The duo have played key roles for the Gunners this season with injuries continuing to hamper Arteta’s squad. Their inclusion has undoubtedly ramped up their development and Arteta believes the pair have quickly earned the respect of their teammates. “What I’ve always said is how they feel about these young players when they come in,” the Arsenal boss added. “Do they trust them? Do they feel like they’re stronger with them? And that’s the feeling that I get when we give them that opportunity. “For me, they are ready in our eyes, but in the team’s feeling as well, they feel that they can be better with them.” GettyArsenal boss Arteta says Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly are more than primed for the rigours of first-team football[/caption] Nwaneri has featured 22 times for the Gunners this term, registering seven goals. He has largely featured in the club’s cup competitions and will be hoping for another start in the crucial second-leg at St James’ Park. Nwaneri missed the first leg through injury but will be hoping his purple patch in front of goal can continue against the Magpies with Arsenal desperate to gain an early advantage in the tie. The Gunners start the game 2-0 down but will feel confident of overturning the deficit following their five-goal haul against City coupled with Newcastle’s mini-crisis at St James’ Park having lost their last two home games.
Mikel Arteta has revealed that Ethan Nwaneri uses a different changing room to his teammates due to his age.
The 17-year-old came off the bench to net Arsenal’s fifth goal in their 5-1 demolition of Manchester City on Sunday.
It was the latest in a line of impressive moments from the winger who is enjoying a breakout season in the Gunners’ first team.
Nwaneri has now scored in back-to-back games having netted a superb effort in last week’s 2-1 Champions League win at Girona.
But his brush with the club’s first-team stars has been a muted one so far as he is not allowed to change in the same changing room as his teammates due to a strict safeguarding policy.
Premier League safeguarding rules state that players must be 18 or older to share a dressing room with the senior squad.
“Ethan cannot be in our dressing room still, which is unbelievable,” Arteta explained. “He needs to get dressed somewhere else, even on match day.”
Meanwhile, Arteta has pointed to Nwaneri’s long-standing friendship with Myles Lewis-Skelly as a catalyst for his recent success.
The pair have been close friends since breaking into the club’s academy.
“When you see those two [Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri] walking next to each other, talking to each other, there is a bond there and a chemistry there,” Arteta said ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle.
“I imagine for them it is special because at the moment they are still in different dressing rooms.
“So to have somebody close to him that has that trust, that confidence, that link, I think it is lucky.
“They are very lucky to have each other.”
The duo have played key roles for the Gunners this season with injuries continuing to hamper Arteta’s squad.
Their inclusion has undoubtedly ramped up their development and Arteta believes the pair have quickly earned the respect of their teammates.
“What I’ve always said is how they feel about these young players when they come in,” the Arsenal boss added.
“Do they trust them? Do they feel like they’re stronger with them? And that’s the feeling that I get when we give them that opportunity.
“For me, they are ready in our eyes, but in the team’s feeling as well, they feel that they can be better with them.”
Nwaneri has featured 22 times for the Gunners this term, registering seven goals.
He has largely featured in the club’s cup competitions and will be hoping for another start in the crucial second-leg at St James’ Park.
Nwaneri missed the first leg through injury but will be hoping his purple patch in front of goal can continue against the Magpies with Arsenal desperate to gain an early advantage in the tie.
The Gunners start the game 2-0 down but will feel confident of overturning the deficit following their five-goal haul against City coupled with Newcastle’s mini-crisis at St James’ Park having lost their last two home games.
