Former England striker Emile Heskey says that it is still too early for Thomas Tuchel to consider calling up Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly to his England squad.
Both Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly came through Arsenal’s youth system between 2015 and 2024. Nwaneri has made 28 appearances for the Gunners across different competitions in the 2024/2025 season, scoring eight goals and registering one assist, while Lewis-Skelly has featured 26 times, scoring once with one assist.
Seventeen-year-old Nwaneri has represented England at various youth levels (U-16, U-17, and U-19), but he remains eligible to play for Nigeria at the senior international level if he chooses to switch allegiance. He was born to a Nigerian father and an English mother.
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Eighteen-year-old Lewis-Skelly, who has played for England’s U-16, U-17, U-18, and U-19 teams, is also eligible to represent Barbados at the senior level due to his Caribbean heritage.
“It’s too early for Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri to be considered for the England first team,” Heskey told BetVictor.
“You must be careful throwing young lads into the senior squad for games before they’ve had the experience of training with the squad and understanding the tempo
and what it means to be in the squad.
“When I was playing, you’d have some younger players training with the first team, so they were more accustomed to the surroundings if they were to eventually step up.
“They’re great players but they, and the England setup, both have time on their side. There is no point in rushing the process.”
Delap has impressed me – he could replace Kane
Heskey also discussed the future of the England number nine spot, highlighting Ipswich’s Liam Delap as a potential successor to Harry Kane for the role.
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“Liam Delap from Ipswich has really impressed me, he could step into the
England national team now in my eyes,” he said. “If I was Thomas Tuchel, I’d be having a look at him and wanting to see how he fits into the squad.
“Ollie Watkins is the natural back up and successor to Harry Kane. He was brilliant in the Euros and made a real impact from the bench. Outside of those two, it’s difficult to see who comes next. Dominic Solanke is another possibility, but he’s been injured and I’m not sure if he’s quite there yet.
“It would have been interesting to see Ivan Toney if he had stayed around, his Saudi move has probably taken him out of the picture. I’d say it’s Watkins’ position to fill then probably Delap.
