Why Thomas Tuchel must pick ‘most exciting youngster in world football’ in first England squad

If he hadn’t done so already, Ethan Nwaneri surely put himself at the forefront of Thomas Tuchel’s thoughts with another exceptional performance in Arsenal’s annihilation of PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night.

The confidence and effortlessness with which Nwaneri has taken to first-team football makes it terribly easy to forget he is only 17 years old. He shouldn’t be able to wreak havoc against grown men period, let alone elite-level defences with proven pedigree… and yet this unique talent is doing it on a consistent basis.

Nwaneri’s innate sense of timing is clearly a trait he possesses both on and off the pitch, too, given the teenager’s latest masterclass came just a week out from Tuchel’s first squad announcement since his England appointment.

The youngster may not have even been on Tuchel’s radar initially considering he was still yet to fully establish himself as a regular in Mikel Arteta’s first-team when the German was unveiled to the English media last October.

But one thing’s for sure: Nwaneri’s scintillating displays in the intervening months mean it is inconceivable that he has not, at the very least, been part of the conversation ahead of the Three Lions’ upcoming double-header against Albania and Latvia.

After Nwaneri’s emphatic first-half strike in Arsenal’s 7-1 thrashing of PSV, former England and Chelsea winger Joe Cole said he would be ‘stunned’ if Tuchel was not considering fast-tracking the wonderkid into his senior squad.

‘For me, he’s so good that he doesn’t need the England Under-21s. In my opinion, he’s that good,’ Cole – who has previously likened Nwaneri to the great Lionel Messi – gushed on TNT Sports.

‘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.’

Cole’s headline-grabbing remarks took many viewers aback. Nwaneri is still only 29 matches into his senior Arsenal career after all, and he will undoubtedly get his opportunity in the future, so why rush it?

But what if Cole has a point? Nwaneri has proven time and time again he has the ability and temperament to terrorise opposition defenders with far more quality and experience than Albania and Latvia will have at their disposal later this month.

Nwaneri turns 18 the same day Tuchel’s men take to the field against Albania for the first of their ten qualifying matches on the road to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Were Nwaneri to feature versus Albania, he would become the seventh-youngster player to represent the senior men’s England team, sandwiched between Clement Mitchell (18 years, 24 days) and Arsenal team-mate Raheem Sterling (17 years, 11 months, 6 days).

And what better way for Nwaneri to announce himself on the international stage than at Wembley, which opened its gates in March 2007 – just days after this prestigious talent was born.

Albania and Latvia the perfect matches to ease Nwaneri in

Any suggestions that Nwaneri may not be ready for the supposed step up to international football are misguided – for this month anyway – given England’s next matches are against relative minnows ranked 65 (Albania) and 150 (Latvia) in world football.

England climbed up to fourth spot in the rankings in the wake of the side’s run to the Euro 2024 final and anything other than a pair of resounding victories should be deemed a disappointment for Tuchel at the start of his reign.

Towards the end of his tenure, Gareth Southgate showed he was willing to put his faith in England’s youth, with Kobbie Mainoo becoming the youngest player to start a game at a major tournament for the Three Lions at the age of just 19 years and 82 days last summer.

Lee Carsley, meanwhile, handed out eight debuts during his brief stint as interim manager, relying heavily on a host of his former Under-21 charges with some success during England’s Nations League games in the autumn. Tuchel should not be afraid to do the same.

England’s toughest match on paper is their trip to Serbia in September, by which time Nwaneri’s form may have dipped, as can be expected of a young player making their first steps in professional football.

But the calibre of opposition this month will no doubt be front and centre of Tuchel’s mind when deciding whether or not he should throw Nwaneri in at the deep end, even if only as a substitute for the Wembley double-header.

Nwaneri’s versatility could be key for Tuchel

Nwaneri’s versatility – not dissimilar to shown by fellow Arsenal academy star Myles Lewis-Skelly – could prove invaluable going forward at both club and international level.

The England Under-19 international has slotted in seamlesslessly on the right side of Arsenal’s front three following season-ending injuries to both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, and with Bukayo Saka still sidelined.

But Nwaneri is comfortable playing on the opposite flank or as an attacking midfielder. He was also known to play through the middle as a number nine at times while rising through Arsenal’s academy ranks.

This should appeal greatly to a tactically fluid head coach of Tuchel’s ilk, who has been known to adapt the make-up and formation of his teams depending on scenario he is faced with through his managerial career. To put it simply, players like Nwaneri are like gold dust.

Plus, with Cole Palmer appearing desperate for a break and Saka unlikely to be risked, Nwaneri is currently the only player pounding on Tuchel’s door with any force for a starting berth on the right of Harry Kane.

Tuchel has nothing to lose picking Nwaneri

Tuchel’s task was clear when he agreed to become head coach of the England national team – do what no manager has done since Sir Alf Ramsey and steer the Three Lions to World Cup glory.

The 51-year-old’s contract expires after next year’s tournament in North America, meaning he is not likely to be worried about hampering a young player’s development. Why would he be?

Unlike Southgate, Tuchel has not been hired to help shape the future of the game in this country. The ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss is unashamedly laser-focused on lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy on July 19, 2026, and if Nwaneri is exposed too early then so be it as far as he is concerned.

Whether this is morally right or wrong is another question altogether but there can be no doubt that Nwaneri is among the top 26 England-qualified players based on current form – and that should be enough to sway Tuchel.

The boy is ready to be unleashed

Yes, a senior call-up would represent an astonishing feat for a player who was still wearing nappies the last time England failed to qualify for a major tournament, when Steve McClaren was being a wally with his brolly in 2008.

Only last month, Arteta admitted Nwaneri’s age meant there was always ‘a question mark’ when it came to naming the Enfield-born teen in his starting line-up.

‘What he’s showing… basically, that’s him,’ the Arsenal head coach told reporters.

‘Obviously his age is always something that puts a question mark on how we have to deal with him.’

But Nwaneri’s showings in a depleted Arsenal attack have made the youngster impossible to overlook and he has risen to the occasion every time, seemingly unfazed by the sort of pressure that could overawe a young player with a weaker temperament.

Last night, Nwaneri became only the third Englishman to start a Champions League knockout game before turning 18, following in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.

Twenty one minutes later, Nwaneri doubled Arsenal’s lead over PSV with an emphatic first-time finish to become the third-youngest goalscorer in the history of the competition’s knockout phase.

Nwaneri is also the youngest player ever to appear in an English top-flight match for Arsenal and the ninth-youngest scorer in Premier League history after his goal against Nottingham Forest earlier this season.

There can be no doubting that this boy is special and he should be treated as such by Tuchel and the England set-up, but this doesn’t mean he should be hidden away and guarded.

Nwaneri is ready for the limelight and has already been basking in it at club level. There is nothing to suggest he will do anything other than take this obvious next step in his stride and pass the test with flying colours.

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