'We must protect him': Xhaka sends message to Nwaneri after historic Arsenal debut

Speaking on the debut of Ethan Nwaneri against Brentford, Granit Xhaka said: “We have to check the passport first! I am joking.

“To have a guy who is 15, who is 15 years younger than me…he looks old when I see him but the club can be proud of a player like him.

“He has a big future, if I am honest, I am doing my coaching licence and I have trained the Under-16s. You can see a big difference with him and the other guys. He is very, very special.

“Of course you have to protect him as he is very young but if he keeps going like this with his hard work he has a big, big future. I spoke with one Brentford guy and I told him this guy was 15 and he looked at me and said: ‘F*** me, we are looking old!’

“So yes, of course, when you have 15 years difference you think: ‘Okay the time is not gone but it is on the way’. But we are enjoying him, he is enjoying us as he has the quality.

“If I am honest, he is not with us a lot in training. I have maybe seen him twice or three times now. But he is very shy, of course, but the time will come when he will be more with us, but you have to protect him and help him.

“Football is not everything for him and for us but yes, the club will help him and the experienced players have to help him.”

Nwaneri made history against Brentford, becoming the youngest player in history to make his Premier League debut – at the age of 15!

The teenager is already attracting interest from major clubs and the Gunners have to be careful in keeping him at the club.

Source: Evening Standard