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Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri has revealed that he idolizes Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo. The English teenager said he would like to swap lives with the 40-year-old superstar for a day just to 'see what it's like' to be him.
Over the past two decades, Ronaldo dominated European football at the highest level. Playing for top sides like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, he racked up an eye-watering 696 goals and 217 assists in 918 appearances, while winning five Ballon d'Or titles.
Since January 2023, he has plied his trade for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. Despite turning 40 in February, he is still going strong, recording 33 goals and four assists in 39 appearances this season.
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Cristiano Ronaldo's exploits on the field and his personality off it have inspired an entire generation of footballers to follow in his footsteps, including Nwaneri. In a recent video on Dazed's social channels, the 18-year-old was asked:
"If you could swap bodies with any celebrity for a day, who would you pick and why?"
He replied:
"Ronaldo. That's my idol! I'd just go throughout my day and just be him. Maybe I'd just go into the streets and see what it's like."
Due to injuries to key first-team forwards Gabriel Jesus (ACL) and Kai Havertz (hamstring), the English youngster became a regular feature for Arsenal in the 2024-25 campaign. He has enjoyed a stellar season thus far, with nine goals and two assists in 36 appearances across competitions.
Ethan Nwaneri isn't the only Arsenal youngster who idolizes Cristiano Ronaldo
Besides Ethan Nwaneri, a couple of young Arsenal stars have also claimed that they look up to Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo.
Appearing on the Men In Blazers podcast in May 2024, English sensation Bukayo Saka revealed that he idolized the Portugal captain in his younger years. The now-23-year-old had said (via GOAL):
"Personally I can't (imagine playing for as long as Ronaldo), and that's why I have so much respect for him. Obviously, when I was younger, he was my idol, but now that I'm playing football professionally, I have even more respect for him, how he's managed to stay this disciplined and this focused and achieve everything he's achieved, so yeah he's special."
Arsenal's Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli also called the Portuguese marksman his hero in an interview with the club's website in May 2023. He had said (via Daily Mail):
"If you were talking about footballers, the person I looked up to was always Cristiano Ronaldo. I used to watch him a lot when I was growing up."
Up next, Martinelli, Saka, and Nwaneri will be in action in Arsenal's Premier League fixture against Newcastle United on Sunday (May 18).
