Ronaldinho ‘vouches’ for special Arsenal wonderkid as surprise meeting sends fans into meltdown

Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri watched Saturday's Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley alongside Ronaldinho.

The 17-year-old, who has been on the Gunners' books since the age of nine, was also pictured alongside Daniel Sturridge and Chelsea women's player Lauren James, as well as rapper Central Cee and YouTube influencer duo Chunkz and Yung Filly as goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Jr secured a 15th Champions League triumph for Madrid.

Supporters were quick to point out the significance of the meeting, with one fan on social media saying: "Ronaldinho basically vouched for Nwaneri. That's all this tells me." Another added that the young forward was 'going places'.

Nwaneri became the youngest player in Premier League history when he played in Arsenal's 3-0 win at Brentford in September 2022 and earlier this year committed his future to the Gunners by signing his first professional contract with the club.

“It was the dream to get to this stage. I’ve always thought about when this day would come and I’ve been looking forward to it, so I’m happy it’s finally here," said Nwaneri. "I didn’t have to think about it - this is my family and it feels like home here. Everyone’s like a family together and they care about everyone. It feels so special to me here."

In recent weeks, Nwaneri was part of the England under-17s squad that reached the quarter-finals of the European Championships. But after scoring three goals in four games, the young Lions were defeated by Italy at the quarter-final stage.