Ethan Nwaneri Biography: Early Life, Career, Stats & Net Worth
Ethan Nwaneri (born March 21, 2007) is an English professional footballer who plays as an offensive midfielder or winger for Ligue 1 club Marseille (on loan from Arsenal) and the England U21 national team. Nwaneri was born in North London and attended Arsenal’s Academy at the age of eight.
He made his Premier League debut against Brentford on September 18, 2022, becoming the youngest player to compete in English football’s top tier at the age of 15 years and 181 days.
Ethan Nwaneri Biography
Ethan Chidiebere Nwaneri, born March 21, 2007, in Enfield, London, exemplifies early skill and perseverance. His parents, Obi Nwaneri and Mrs. Nwaneri, are of Igbo heritage from Nigeria, and their support has been essential in his football career from a young age.
This Nigerian heritage deepens Ethan’s identity and strengthens his connection to London’s varied population.
Career
Nwaneri joined Arsenal at the age of eight. At the age of 14, he was already playing for their under-18 team. Nwaneri played with friend and teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly at the academy.
Nwaneri began the 2022-23 season with Arsenal’s under-18 team, but he was swiftly promoted to the club’s under-21 squad. After making one appearance in the 2022-23 Premier League 2, he joined the first team for training in September and made his first senior matchday squad on September 18th, when he was picked as a replacement for the Premier League game against Brentford.
Coming off the bench to replace Fábio Vieira in second-half stoppage time, he became the youngest player to ever appear in the Premier League at the age of 15 years and 181 days, breaking the record previously held by Harvey Elliott, and the all-time English top-flight record held by former Sunderland goalkeeper Derek Forster since August 1964, by three days.
He also became Arsenal’s youngest-ever player in any tournament, breaking Cesc Fàbregas’ record of 16 years and 177 days established in the 2003-04 League Cup. In the post-match press conference, manager Mikel Arteta explained that they had to name Nwaneri and two other under-21 players on the bench because the first team had several injuries, especially the injury of midfielder and captain Martin Ødegaard, and his decision to send Nwaneri on was based on a “gut feeling”.
After his schoolboy contract expired in June 2023, Nwaneri signed a new scholarship deal with Arsenal, with an option for a professional contract on his seventeenth birthday, March 21, 2024.
In the 2023-24 Premier League season, Nwaneri came on as a substitute in Arsenal’s 6-0 win away to West Ham United, coming on in the 77th minute. In the following round, he scored from outside the box against Preston North End.
He scored his first Premier League goal on November 23rd, in Arsenal’s 3-0 home win over Nottingham Forest, after being substituted in the 82nd minute. At 17 years and 247 days old, he became the ninth-youngest goal scorer in league history.
Nwaneri scored in a 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on January 4, 2025, becoming only the third player after Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney to score at least five goals in a season before the age of 18.
Later that month, on January 29, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal, clinching a 2-1 win away to Girona.. Four days later, on February 2, Nwaneri scored the fifth and final goal in a 5-1 victory over Manchester City, curling in a stoppage-time shot from just outside the penalty box.
Nwaneri was voted Man of the Match for his effort against Leicester City, in which he hit the woodwork twice and assisted Mikel Merino in the 2-0 win. Nwaneri scored the second of Arsenal’s seven Champions League Last-16 goals away at PSV Eindhoven on March 4.
On June 19, 2025, Nwaneri was named one of six nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award. On August 8, 2025, Nwaneri signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.
On January 23, 2026, Nwaneri was loaned to Marseille until the end of the 2025–26 season. The following day, Nwaneri scored 13 minutes into his Marseille debut in a 3-1 win over Lens. Nwaneri is eligible to represent Nigeria and France on the international arena through his parents, but he has decided to represent England at the youth level instead.
After impressing in the qualification, Nwaneri was picked to England’s squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship on May 17, 2023. He scored the victory in the first game against Croatia at Balmazújvárosi Városi Sportpálya.
On November 2, 2023, Nwaneri was named to the England squad for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He scored his only goal of the tournament in their first group game against New Caledonia in Jakarta. Nwaneri also appeared in the remaining group games against Iran and Brazil.
He came off the bench as a substitute in their round-of-16 loss to Uzbekistan. On May 20, 2024, Nwaneri was named to the England squad for the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He scored again in the tournament’s opening game, a 4-0 win over France in Larnaca.
Nwaneri also scored during a group stage triumph over Spain. His third and last goal of the competition came during their quarter-final elimination against Italy.
On his 18th birthday, March 21, 2025, Nwaneri made his England U21 debut as a substitute in a 5-3 loss to France in Lorient. Only three days later, he scored his first goal for England U21 on his complete debut, resulting in a 4-2 victory over Portugal.
Nwaneri was selected for England’s squad at the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where he appeared in all six matches, including the final, in which the England U21s won the tournament for the second time in a row.
Net Worth
Ethan Nwaneri’s net worth is estimated around $300-500k. This is because he just started his career as a professional career.
Social Media
Instagram: @ethannwaneri
