“He’s been better than Phil Foden” - Troy Deeney urges Thomas Tuchel to call up Arsenal star for England debut
Former Watford striker Troy Deeney has backed Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri to get his first England call-up this month. He believes that the teenager has shown that he is ready to get into the team.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Deeney claimed that Nwaneri has been better than Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, and Jack Grealish this season. He compared the youngster to Jack Wilshere and said:
"Absolutely yes for me. I think the question in the game was why [Mikel] Arteta didn't put him in when [Martin] Odegaard was injured earlier in the season. I felt like he had this confidence, this aura of, 'Give me the ball,' I don't like to compare players - but very much Jack Wilshere. When Jack Wilshere got into that Arsenal team as a young kid, it was like, 'Oh my God, he's running that team already.'"
"And I could see that with Nwaneri, I think now the problem is not if he plays, it's where does he play and who do we move out for him? He's been better than Phil Foden this year in terms of over the course of the season, I think he's been better than Rashford, Grealish. There's so many players that you can't put ahead of him now that used to be shoo-ins. Cole Palmer has gone off the boil - over the course of the season Cole Palmer has been better - but if you're Tuchel, and this is the thing I keep asking, what is Tuchel going to do?"
Nwaneri is yet to make his England debut and has not been called up yet. Thomas Tuchel started as the England FA head coach on January 1 and is set to name his first squad this month for matches against Albania and Latvia.
Wayne Rooney backs Arsenal star to get England debut
Wayne Rooney spoke about Ethan Nwaneri earlier this month and backed the Arsenal youngster to make his England debut soon. The Manchester United legend claimed that the teenager should be called by Thomas Tuchel this month and said on Amazon Prime (via GOAL):
“I think he is definitely [ready for his first England call-up]. Over the last couple of years with England, we've seen players getting an opportunity with England who haven't deserved the opportunity. That's my opinion. I think Nwaneri, he's showing he's got the temperament the right attitude to be in that squad. If he keeps doing what he's doing he'll have a great chance.”
Ethan Nwaneri scored in the 21st minute to help the Gunners win 7-1 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 against PSV Eindhoven. He has been leading the attack from the right wing for Arsenal since the injury to Bukayo Saka.