Gary Lineker has called for clarity over the pronunciation of Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri’s name.
The teenager is enjoying a sensational breakthrough season for the Gunners and he enhancing his burgeoning reputation with another sensational display in Wednesday’s Champions League win against PSV Eindhoven.
Nwaneri joined an elite club by becoming only the fourth play aged 17 to score a goal in the knockout stage of Europe’s elite club competition and his form could yet see him parachuted straight into Thomas Tuchel’s senior England squad.
‘Nwaneri, my goodness what a performance again,’ said Alan Shearer, reacting to the youngster’s latest performance on the The Rest Is Football podcast. ‘ He’s 17-years old and he was absolutely outstanding.’
Given his rapid rise to prominence, it is perhaps understandable that commentators have come up with various different pronounciations of his surname and Lineker wants the issue cleared up once and for all.
Get personalised updates on Arsenal everyday
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
‘Everyone saying his name as if it was Claudio Ranieri but I think he’s going to be that good a player we need to sort out his name one way or another,’ said the outgoing Match of the Day presenter.
‘I know this is not the most important thing we’ll discuss on the podcast but I think this kid is going to be a star so I think we need to sort his name out one way or another. If I’m wrong, my apologies.’
How to pronounce Ethan Nwaneri’s name
Given the continuing injury crisis at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta is unlikely to be able to give the midfielder, who is deputising for Bukayo Saka, a break particularly with a trip to Old Trafford on the horizon this weekend.
‘I don’t think that he needs any pushing!’ said Arteta when he was informed Nwaneri was closing in on more goalscoring records.
‘You see him every time he has the ball what the intention is, so if he comes, he comes, and it’s great and really impressive again the way he behaved, the way he played tonight.
‘It’s about consistency now, doing it again three days later in another big stadium.’
Joe Cole, meanwhile, was awestruck by Nwaneri’s display against the Dutch side who were hammered 7-1 and billed him as Europe’s most exciting young talent.
‘For me, he’s so good that he doesn’t need the U21s,’ Cole told TNT Sports. ‘In my opinion, he’s that good.
‘He needs to go straight in with Thomas Tuchel, get around the squad and get some minutes, because he’s an England player for the next 10-15 years.
‘Wonderful talent, great mentality, he’s at the right club at the right time. I’ll be stunned if Tuchel doesn’t have a good look at him and bring him in to his first squad.
‘I think is going to be an absolute genius. I think he’s the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe. What he’s doing is incredible.’
