15-year of Nigerian heritage set to become 2nd youngest player to play EPL match

15-year of Nigerian heritage set to become 2nd youngest player to play EPL match

Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri, was 15 years, 181 days when he came on in a 3-0 win at Brentford last season and another player with Nigerian heritage is about following Nwaneri's footsteps if Wolves' coach fulfills his promise, writes www.sportsunlimited.ng.

With almost half of his squad available ahead of the clash with Arsenal, Gary O'Neil has hinted he might be forced to include a 15-year-old schoolboy, Wes Okoduwa.

Okoduwa skipped a science lesson on Friday to prepare to face the Premier League title challenger.

Should he be fielded, right back Okoduwa would become Wolves’ youngest player at 15 years, 344 days, with the hosts having only 10 fit senior outfield players.

Craig Dawson, Nelson Semedo, Matheus Cunha, Pedro Neto and Jean-Ricard Bellegarde are all out, Hwang Hee-chan and Rayan Ait-Nouri aren’t fit enough to start and Mario Lemina and Pablo Sarabia are nursing knocks.

‘We’re probably in the worst situation we’ve been in but the positives are there’s loads of young players involved against Arsenal,’ said Wolves manager, Gary O’Neil. ‘There might be a debut or two from the start for some of the younger lads.

‘Some of those on the bench I don’t know too well if I’m honest. They’ve been training with the academy more than with us but they were with us Friday and one was pleased he got to miss his science lesson this morning so he could train with us.

‘I hope he’s had more fun with us than he would have done in science! He’s ready for the game.’

If he plays, Okoduwa will also become the Premier League’s second youngest player after Arsenal’s Nwaneri.

Legendary left winger, Jimmy Mullen, who died in 1987, is Wolves’ youngest player at 16 years, 43 days when he made his debut against Leeds in 1939, although Cameron Buchanan was just 14 when he played for the club in a wartime game against rival West Brom.

Mentioned as one of the brightest talents in the country in his age group and an unused substitute for the 3-0 defeat at Newcastle on March 2, Okoduwa has been linked with Manchester United and helped England Under 16s win the Football Federations Cup this season.

‘He’s trained very well, he’s physically very good,’ said O’Neil. ‘It’s probably slightly too early in his development, but it’s the situation we’re in.’