Arsenal Acting sensation Ethan Nwaneri recently celebrated his 18th birthday. How does his current performance metrics stack up against those of Wayne Rooney during his time with Everton as one of the premier league’s standout young talents?
It's quite uncommon to make a significant impact on the stage before reaching an age where you can legally drink a pint. Only Michael Owen and Rooney have accomplished this. netted additional Premier League objectives Before they turn 18 years old, more people have accomplished this feat than Nwaneri has.
Nwaneri made history as the youngest player ever to appear in the Premier League when Mikel Arteta brought him on during the final minutes of a 3-0 win against Brentford in September 2022.
At the age of 15 years and 181 days, he became the sole player in Premier League history to participate in a match before reaching 16 years old.
In contrast to Rooney, the young talent from Arsenal had to wait patiently for additional chances. His short stint as a substitute remained his sole senior team outing that season, with just one more appearance throughout the complete 2023-24 season.
By the time he turned 17, he had emerged as a key figure for Arteta’s Arsenal squad—his exceptional skills have been especially valuable during an offensive injury crisis, providing him with the chance to secure a consistent spot in the lineup.
Rooney surprisingly ranks as the 17th youngest player to make a Premier League appearance. He was just 16 years and 297 days old when he first played for his hometown team, Everton, in an exciting 2-2 tie against Tottenham at Goodison Park in August 2002. Rooney started the game and helped set up Mark Pembridge’s opening goal.
The young man from Croxteth never looked back after that point, quickly establishing himself as a key member of David Moyes' main team.
"It's a remarkable achievement and a distinct aptitude, specifically an English one, which stands out as the most impressive English talent I've encountered since coming to England; without question, he possesses all the qualities we aspire to see," said a generous Arsène Wenger to Sky Sports following a 16-year-old Rooney showcased his prowess by scoring a spectacular late equalizer against Arsenal.
He demonstrates intelligence, swift responses, proficiency when maneuvering with the ball, rapid advances, and undoubtedly excels at finishing.
This marked Rooney's inaugural Premier League goal, coming only six days prior to his 17th birthday in October 2002.
"I hope he won’t get hurt over the next two or three years and that his mind remains strong enough to handle everything going on, but he certainly has immense potential," Wenger said additionally.
Well, it's premature to discuss whether he'll leave Everton for an elite club. However, based on my honest assessment, he should remain with Everton until he proves his worth there. At this stage, he must focus on taking one step at a time and staying grounded; these are crucial aspects.
Rooney's exceptional play broke Arsenal's 30-game undefeated streak. Later, during Manchester United's match against Arsenal in October 2004, which marked the end of their historic 49-game unbeaten run known as the 'Battle of the Buffet' at Old Trafford, Rooney would score again.
Some people have suggested that Rooney didn’t completely fulfill his potential, but this seems far-fetched considering he became both Manchester United’s and England’s all-time leading scorer (a record later surpassed by Harry Kane).
Rooney made over a hundred international appearances and led the English national team towards the end of his career. Throughout his playing days, he claimed five Premier League championships, one FA Cup, one UEFA Champions League title, and three League Cups. Only Alan Shearer and Kane have netted more goals in Premier League history.
It's quite impressive that Nwaneri’s performance so far can stand up to a young Rooney during his time at Everton. However, we should approach these statistics cautiously, considering that Nwaneri is playing for an Arsenal side currently ranked second in the league, unlike Moyes' Everton which ended up seventh when Rooney made his mark in the 2002-03 season.
Nwaneri has not received his first call-up for England yet; however, he will likely be considered by Thomas Tuchel in the coming months and years. Rooney, on the other hand, became part of Sven-Göran Eriksson’s senior team at age 17, netting twice in seven appearances before turning 18.
However, for this comparison, we've focused solely on their statistics from their club careers.
Here’s how Ethan Nwaneri’s current career statistics stack up against Rooney’s performance at Everton when he was 18 years old:
Ethan Nwaneri’s statistics with Arsenal up until now
All Competitions
Games:
31
Starts: 12
Sub Appearances: 19
Goals: 8
Assists: 1
Minutes per goal: 138
Time per goal or assist: 122
Premier League
Games:
19
Starts: 7
Sub Appearances: 12
Goals: 3
Assists: 1
Minutes per goal: 204
Time per goal or assist: 153
Wayne Rooney for Everton at 18 years old
All Competitions
Games: 46
Starts: 22
Sub Appearances: 24
Goals: 9
Assists: 2
Minutes per goal: 266
Time per goal or assist: 218
Premier League
Games:
41
Starts: 19
Sub Appearances: 22
Goals: 7
Assists: 2
Minutes per goal: 291
Time per goal or assist: 227
READ NEXT: What Has Become of Them? The Six Wunderkinds From Arsenal in Football Manager 2015
TRY A QUIZ: Could you list Arsenal's 25 youngest goal scorers since the year 2000?
