Latest news with #Under17
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Arsenal's rising star Ethan Nwaneri reveals Mikel Arteta's advice during breakout season - as Lee Carsley's secret weapon aims for U21s success
Much of what makes Ethan Nwaneri so special are the things you simply cannot teach. His burst, his trickery, his seemingly-unstoppable signature left-footed cut inside finish at 18 have seen Nwaneri savour a breakout year in an Arsenal side that he helped excel domestically and in Europe. But in manager Mikel Arteta he is working for a perfectionist, a man who is never fully satisfied. For Nwaneri, Arteta's coaching extends well beyond the white lines of the training pitch. 'He's really big on body language and the way that he presents himself. He puts that onto me,' Nwaneri said. 'Before, maybe just the way that I'd walk or slouch a bit or just the way I'd be sitting, but he's onto everything. 'That's helped me just sharpen up in my mind and it's helped me a lot. 'There's a lot to learn from Mikel. If you ever met him, you'd see how intense he is. How he's so good with his words and he knows what he's saying. 'I think there's so much, not even just tactically and mentally and all that stuff. On a personal level, he's helped me a lot. He's elevated my game, definitely.' This time last year Nwaneri was representing England at the Under-17 European Championships. He scored in the 1-1 quarter-final draw to Italy before bowing out on penalties. Fast forward and talk now is already of him being in the mix for the senior side at the 2026 World Cup. Nothing appears to faze Nwaneri, that's what was most striking in this sit-down that is his first with the press outside of a mixed zone appearance after Arsenal played Ipswich Town. Naturally quiet, Nwaneri likes to do his talking on the pitch and in an England shirt he has long been mature of his years. He made his Under-16 debut aged 14 years, 10 months, 22 days, made his Under-17 debut aged 15 years, 4 months and 16 days, made his Under-19 debut aged 17 years, 5 months, 14 days, and made his Under-21 debut back in March aged 18 years to the day against France. 'One thing I realised is that they've all been where we've been, we've all been kids,' he said of the dressing room assembled by Lee Carsley for this tournament. 'These guys are so good at understanding all that and they make it really comfortable.' Those same team-mates are eager to coax more of a swagger out of Nwaneri, a self-belief that he can be the best player at these Euros in Slovakia. Captain James McAtee called Nwaneri 'world class' during his debut Under-21 camp in March, while close friend Omari Hutchinson spends most of the time urging the teenager to embrace his status as 'the main man'. 'I think that's what he tries to say to me,' Nwaneri smiled. 'I think I just want to play. 'Whatever comes, it will come. I think that's the best way to be. I don't really think about all the outside, just doing as much as I can on the pitch. Whatever comes of it, whatever titles come of it, whatever awards are going to come.' So Nwaneri may not be overly focused on accolades and 'best player' titles, that much is obvious from this chat inside a sports hall at St George's Park. But what Nwaneri is obsessed with is development, both individually and with the help of those in his inner circle. Nwaneri's talent has been known to those tasked with navigating players through the FA's player pathway since he was aged 12. Carsley, himself, worked with him in younger age groups. He was 14 when he was fast-tracked to England's Under-16s and captained England's Under-19s twice last season when just 17. A quiet leader but a confident one is how sources around England's younger age groups have described him. The influence of Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly, two of his closest friends at Arsenal, cannot go unmentioned, either. Both, in their own unique way, has helped shape the burgeoning superstar we are seeing today. 'Bukayo is a great person and he's an even better player,' Nwaneri said. 'Honestly, there's so much I can learn. Our relationship is more like friendship and more jokey. 'We don't really have a lot of deep conversations because I think with Bukayo, he's a player that you just need to watch to learn from and take from his game. I think he's helped me so much in that respect.' And as for best mate Lewis-Skelly, a naturally more extroverted character, has he helped get you out of your shell? 'I think my relationship with Myles and my friendship with Myles is so important,' he added. 'I think we're so similar but we're so opposite at the same time. 'The way that we think is so similar. We think the same way, we think the same things. But the way that we might portray it to other people, he might seem more open and I might seem more closed off. But we're so similar in the same way. I think our friendship is special.' For now they are being kept apart with Nwaneri in his first tournament with the Under-21s and Lewis-Skelly a seemingly permanent fixture with the senior team after impressing Thomas Tuchel. But the overwhelming sense at the FA is that it is a matter of time before Nwaneri has permanent residence of his own in the first team dressing room. That is why Carsley and his staff want to enjoy him for as long as they have him. 'All these tournaments I enjoy and see them all equally, I have the opportunity to show myself to the world,' Nwaneri concluded. If people aren't already familiar with Nwaneri's game, that is about to change. Carsley knows his secret weapon won't be secret for much longer…
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pumas clinch the Under-17 title
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. Pumas were crowned champions in the Under-17 category after drawing 0-0 against Santos in Torreón, achieving an aggregate score of 2-1 in their favor. This title marks the fourth championship for their youth academy in the last six years. The match was played on the morning of Saturday, May 17 at the TSM Corona, where Santos dominated possession but was unable to capitalize on their chances against the university team's goal. Had the aggregate score been tied, the title would have been decided by penalties, so Santos needed just one goal to even the series and force that scenario. Pumas withstood the home team's attacks with a solid defense and managed to keep a clean sheet. Under the direction of Miguel Carreón, the youth team added another trophy, reflecting the good work being done in their youth system.
