Eddie Nketiah pays tribute to mentors Ian Wright and Thierry Henry
Eddie Nketiah will attempt to make an England impact this week with the words of two of Arsenal's greatest strikers ringing in his ears.
Following a strong start to the season at club level, the 24-year-old has received his first senior call-up by Gareth Southgate for the forthcoming Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine in Poland on Saturday, followed by a friendly against Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday.
Nketiah's journey to the top has not always been smooth yet his mentors are better than most. Both Ian Wright and Thierry Henry have taken a close interest in Nketiah's career and he feels he owes them a debt of gratitude for making it this far.
'Thierry has been magnificent for me,' said Nketiah. 'I was coached by him as a first-year scholar at Arsenal at 16 and it was amazing - one of my best and most enjoyable seasons.
'I was able to bounce ideas off him and he gave me a lot of confidence. Still to this day when I see him he is still supportive and still really helpful.
'He came in and saw the quality I had when I was 16 or 17 and said that I just needed to believe in myself. It's one of the best pieces of advice I've received. He knows what he's talking about, so it's not a bad feeling to hear that.
'I wear No14 on my shirt, which is always a number I've liked but Thierry wearing it for Arsenal made it a lot more special. When the number was available and offered to me, I embraced it.
'Ian Wright has also given me a lot of advice over the years and been supportive. I saw him at a photo shoot recently and we were talking about the start of the season, how well I have done. I am sure in time I will speak to him about playing for England too.'
Nketiah is one of a number of forwards attempting to claim the spot as first
Read on m.allfootballapp.com
