Emmanuel Eboué: Ethan Nwaneri Can Be Better Than Lamine Yamal

In a season blighted by injuries and suspensions, one of the shining lights for Arsenal has been the emergence of two young Hale End academy graduates who have seized the opportunities handed to them during the club’s more challenging moments. Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly were relatively unknown prior to this campaign, but they are now regular fixtures in Mikel Arteta’s matchday squad. We caught up with former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboué, who shared his thoughts on the rise of these two exciting prospects.

Hale End’s Breakthrough Boys

Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly began the season as virtual unknowns in the wider footballing world—still developing their skillsets and finding their footing. Fast forward a few months, and Nwaneri has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most daring and technically gifted young attackers. Meanwhile, Lewis-Skelly has matched flair with maturity, most notably impressing in Arsenal’s emphatic 3–0 win over Real Madrid earlier this week.

Eboué was full of praise for both players and the Arsenal academy system:

“I’ve watched them do really well this year. Ethan is a very good player. The Arsenal academy is doing a great job. Ethan comes off the bench and makes an impact every time. He’s very quick and technically gifted.”

But while Eboué is excited by their progress, he was also quick to stress the importance of maintaining discipline and work ethic:

“Ethan has to keep working hard. He’s still young, and him and Lewis-Skelly need to put in the hard work. People will be watching them to see if they can deliver consistently over time.”

“Ethan Can Be Better Than Yamal”

With his rapid rise and fearless approach, comparisons are already being made between Ethan Nwaneri and Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s 17-year-old sensation who helped lead Spain to Euro 2024 glory last summer and has become one of La Liga’s standout performers. But according to Eboué, Nwaneri has the potential to surpass the Barcelona star—if he stays focused:

“For example, Yamal is young but performs every week. I think Ethan can be better than Yamal if he works hard and respects the game.”

Drawing from his own experience at Arsenal, Eboué warned of the dangers that come with early hype:

“When I was at Arsenal, I saw some brilliant young players like Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. People said they’d be the best in the world, but football changes quickly. Soon, people stopped talking about them.”

“If you joke with football, football will joke with you. I hope Ethan and Lewis-Skelly work very hard. I will pray for them, because I want them to become the best.”

The former Ivory Coast international then switched his attention to discussing the rise of his fellow countryman Amad Diallo, who continues to impress as part of the first team setup at Manchester United.

“I love Amad, he’s like a younger brother to me. He is a good player, but he has a problem that he gets injured too often. As a young player, you have to be ready every week for the matches, but he can maybe only play one or two good months and then he gets injured.”

“He is still very young, but to be a big player you need to be very, very strong. When I watched Cristiano Ronaldo, it was rare to see him get injured. He was working so hard and he still does that even at the age of 40.”

“Amad has to be like that and be ready every week. He plays well but gets injured too often, which isn´t good.”

A Cult Hero Reflects on His Arsenal Journey

Eboué remains a cult hero among Arsenal fans—fondly remembered for his humour, energy, and commitment. Despite the infamous incident where he was booed by his own supporters during a match against Wigan at the Emirates, he still holds a deep affection for the Arsenal faithful.

“The Arsenal fans and I were like a family. I was always ready to make them happy, on and off the pitch. I did my job every match and tried to keep my teammates happy in the dressing room.”

“There was a game against Wigan where I was booed by the fans. They weren’t happy and wanted me to leave the club. But the whole team hadn’t played well—it wasn’t just me. I’d never experienced anything like that before. I thought, ‘What’s happening here?’”

“But after that, we resolved everything and were happy again. I was really proud to be at Arsenal. I loved the fans, and I loved it when they sang my song.”