Declan Rice shocks fans with a bizarre nickname for Ethan Nwaneri

Ethan Nwaneri’s Journey

Arsenal whiz-kid Ethan Nwaneri has caught the eye not just of fans, but also of England midfielder Declan Rice. The 17-year-old Nwaneri, who joined Arsenal’s academy at the young age of 9, made history by becoming the Premier League’s youngest-ever player at 15.

Born in 2007, Nwaneri wasn’t even around when Arsenal moved to their Emirates Stadium, the Emirates Stadium, 18 years ago. Talk about young talent!

Rice’s Path to the Top

Declan Rice’s journey to the top wasn’t quite as smooth. Released by Chelsea at 14, he didn’t give up. The next day, he went to Fulham, and the day after that, he landed at West Ham. This kind of grit and determination is what separates good players from great ones.

At West Ham, Rice had to prove himself again. Even at 16, when his teammates were already on professional contracts, Rice was the last one waiting for his shot. He finally earned it with a stellar performance in a U-18 match against Fulham, securing his scholarship.

Declan Rice and Ethan Nwaneri

This isn’t the first time Rice has shown his appreciation for Nwaneri. In February, he commented on a post calling Nwaneri a “special, special talent.” Rice saw the star potential in the young player.

More recently, Rice congratulated Nwaneri on his professional contract, calling him “some player and even a better person.” This has excited Arsenal fans, who see it as a sign of strong support for young talent within the club. Arsenal has a history of giving chances to young players, like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. Seeing a senior player like Rice, a leader in the dressing room, support Nwaneri is a big deal for the Gunners faithful.

Rice, who knows how tough it is to break into the first team from the academy, is taking Nwaneri under his wing.

For many Arsenal fans, Rice calling Nwaneri “eth” is really funny and very cute. They think it is a friendly nickname that shows the experienced players are trying hard to make the young talent feel welcome in the main team. Arsenal fans see it as a sign that Nwaneri is being supported and included by the senior players.

However, some fans of other teams have made fun of this nickname a lot, saying it is just an obvious short form of Ethan’s name and nothing clever. They have mocked Rice, saying he must think he is very creative just for shortening Ethan to “eth.”

This is one example of the sarcastic comments that Declan’s comment has been receiving.

The ongoing jokes and arguments between fans over whether “eth” is a good nickname or too obvious have become an entertaining side story. But Arsenal fans don’t care about the mockery, feeling it misses the friendly intent behind Rice’s words.

Overall, Arsenal fans are excited to see more of the 17-year-old Nwaneri playing and showing his skills. Having experienced players like Declan Rice actively supporting and guiding the young midfielder is seen as extremely valuable for his growth and improvement at the top level.