Arsenal Actor Ethan Nwaneri recently celebrated his 18th birthday. How do his career statistics stack up against those of Wayne Rooney when he was making waves as a young talent at Everton?
It's quite uncommon for someone young enough not to qualify for an alcoholic drink order to make such a significant impact upon arrival. Only Michael Owen and Rooney have achieved this. netted additional Premier League objectives Before they turn 18 years old, more people have accomplished this feat than Nwaneri.
Nwaneri made history as the youngest player ever to appear in the Premier League when Mikel Arteta brought him onto the field during the final minutes of a 3-0 win against Brentford in September 2022.
At the age of merely 15 years and 181 days, he became part of the lineup – a record unmatched as the sole player in Premier League history to play before reaching 16 years old.
In contrast to Rooney, the young talent from Arsenal had to wait patiently for additional chances. His short stint on the field marked his sole first-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 crunch, providing him with consistent playing time.
Rooney surprisingly ranks as the 17th youngest player to make a Premier League debut. He was just 16 years and 297 days old when he first played for his childhood team, Everton, opening the scoring with an assist for Mark Pembridge in their 2-2 tie against Tottenham at home in August 2002.
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 skill, particularly an English one—the most impressive English talent I've encountered since arriving in England. He possesses every quality we could hope for," said a gracious Arsene Wenger to Sky Sports following a 16-year-old Rooney revealed his potential to the global audience with a stunning late equalizer from distance against Arsenal.
“Intelligent, quick reactions, good with running with the ball, moves forward quickly and of course, he’s very accurate in front of goal.”
This marked Rooney's inaugural Premier League goal, which came merely 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 stays strong as things unfold for him, yet he certainly possesses immense ability," Wenger stated 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, it's crucial for him to take things one step at a time and stay grounded. That's the best outcome we could hope for.
Rooney's exceptional play broke the Gunners' streak of 30 matches without losing. Later, during Manchester United's encounter with Arsenal in their historic 49-match undefeated run, Rooney scored again in the notorious 'Battle of the Buffet' loss at Old Trafford in October 2004.
Some people have suggested that Rooney didn’t completely fulfill his potential, but this seems far-fetched considering he eventually became both Manchester United’s and England’s all-time leading scorer (a record later claimed by Harry Kane).
Rooney made over a hundred international appearances and led the English national team towards the end of his career. During his tenure, he secured five Premier League championships, one FA Cup, one UEFA Champions League title, and three League Cups. In terms of Premier League goals, only Alan Shearer and Kane outperformed him.
Considering this, it’s quite impressive that Nwaneri’s achievements so far can be compared to a young Rooney during his time at Everton. However, one should approach these statistics cautiously, as Nwaneri is playing for an Arsenal side currently ranked second in the league, unlike Moyes' Everton, which finished seventh when Rooney made his mark in the 2002-03 season.
Nwaneri has not received his initial call-up for the English national team yet; however, he will likely be considered by Thomas Tuchel in the coming months and years. Rooney, on the other hand, joined Sven-Göran Eriksson’s senior squad at age 17, netting two goals in seven appearances prior to 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 Wayne 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 playing 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
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