Arsenal star plays new position as England reach u21 Euros semi-finals | OneFootball

Ethan Nwaneri made a substitute appearance for the England u21s as they eliminated Spain to reach the semi-finals of the European Championships on Saturday.

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Following two starts and one substitute appearance for the England u21s in the group stages of the European Championships, Ethan Nwaneri was named on the bench for the team’s first knockout game against Spain this weekend.

England made a fast start, scoring in the 10th and 15th minutes to race into a 2-0 lead. But Javi Guerra cut that advantage with a goal from the penalty spot in the 39th minute.

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With 10 minutes of the match remaining, England introduced Nwaneri with the scores still at 2-1, hoping to secure the result. And that’s exactly what happened, with Jonathan Rowe winning a penalty converted by Elliot Anderson for 3-1.

Nwaneri had come on for striker Jay Stansfield, with u21 boss Lee Carsley choosing to use the Arsenal man up front.

Though it’s not the first time Nwaneri has ever played as a striker, it was his first appearance in the position at the tournament, and perhaps a sign of things to come in the later rounds.

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England will now take on the Netherlands in the semi-finals on Wednesday, with the other semi-final to be determined by the quarter-finals between Germany and Italy on Sunday afternoon, and Denmark and France later that evening.

Should England make the final, Nwaneri won’t be able to begin his summer holidays until after that fixture on Saturday. Given Arsenal’s imminent return to pre-season training, it’s clear he won’t be involved from the off.