Ethan Nwaneri's dad makes very heartwarming gesture after son shines for Arsenal

Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri illustrated his prodigious talents once again on Wednesday night as he starred in the Gunners’ 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Preston. And after the match, his father made the dreams of one young fan come true as he reportedly helped him get his hands on the player’s shirt.

Nwaneri became the youngest player in history to feature in the Premier League back in September 2022 when he came off the bench during Arsenal’s clash with Brentford at the age of 15 and 181 days.

And he is starting to make a name for himself this season after being handed a key role in the Carabao Cup by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.

Nwaneri, who is now 17, was named in Arsenal’s starting line-up against Preston after bagging two goals during their third round victory over Bolton in September.

And the attacking midfielder continued to impress in the final third of the pitch as he curled a brilliant strike into the net to put his side 2-0 up in the first half. He later hit the crossbar with another effort during a dazzling performance.

One young Arsenal fan in attendance was desperate to remember the occasion and turned up at Deepdale with a sign that read: “Ethan Nwaneri, please can I have your 53 shirt”.

And according to The Athletic’s Amy Lawrence, his wish was granted after Nwaneri’s dad spotted the sign and called him over at the end of the match. Lawrence posted a picture of the youngster wearing the shirt to X.

Nwaneri will now be hoping he has impressed Arteta enough to be handed an opportunity to start a match in the Premier League, with the teenager featuring four times off the bench in the top-flight this season.

And after his impressive display on Wednesday night, his manager said: “He’s a big talent, he’s got the right attitude and he’s got the right players and context around him.

“We need to make sure that we build brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order – but we have some player there.”

And discussing the player’s development over the coming weeks and months, the Spaniard added: “He’s going to really dictate how fast that’s going to go, but I’m really happy with him.

“There’s so much personality there. He wants to impose himself, he wants every ball, he wants to make things happen. He’s very respectful, his work ethic is tremendous and he loves what he does, you can tell that. I think he is showing every day what he is capable of.

“You see his team-mates, they are giving him the ball all the time, that’s a great sign. So we have some player there.”