Ethan Nwaneri is banned from the Arsenal dressing room on match days (Image: GETTY)
Ethan Nwaneri is banned from entering the dressing room due to a little-known rule which prevents him from getting changed with his team-mates.
The forward has emerged as one of the ‘s most exciting young players and was on target in ‘s big win over .
Nwaneri came off the bench in the closing stages and wasted no time in putting himself about, eventually being rewarded with a goal of the highest quality.
Just seconds before the final whistle, he found the far corner with a curling effort from outside the box to complete a 5-1 rout.
Nwaneri will not be allowed into the dressing room until he turns 18 next month (Image: GETTY)
Despite his breakthrough at first-team level, Nwaneri is not allowed to get ready with the rest of his team-mates because of safeguarding rules.
The rules state that players must be 18 or older to share a dressing room with the senior squad, meaning Nwaneri will be unable to do so until his next birthday in March.
Myles Lewis-Skelly was also banned from the dressing room until he turned 18 and believes he has a strong bond with Nwaneri, having played in the academy together before breaking into the senior squad around the same time.
“When you see those two walking next to each other, talking to each other, there is a bond there and a chemistry there,” said the boss.
“I imagine for them it is special because at the moment they are still in different dressing rooms [at the training ground]. Ethan cannot be in our dressing room still, which is unbelievable.
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“He needs to get dressed somewhere else, even on match day, so to have somebody close to him that has that trust, that confidence, that link, I think it is lucky. They are very lucky to have each other.”
Nwaneri will be hoping to keep impressing for the Gunners in order to earn more starts, having mainly featured as a substitute over the course of this season.
Arteta recently suggested that he could deploy Nwaneri as a striker, with having struggled for consistency at times and Gabriel Jesus sidelined for the rest of the season.
“Leo [Trossard] can play in that position, Raheem [Sterling] has played in that position and Ethan I think can play in that position,” said Arteta.
“[Gabriel] Martinelli can play there so let’s see in relation to how everybody is, the moment and opponent, but at some point, we’re going to have to try something different.”