After his explosive Emirates debut Eddie Nketiah is already dreaming of emulating the Arsenal heroes he grew up watching.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger turned to the 18-year-old in desperation with his side trailing 1-0 in the 85th minute of their EFL Cup fourth round tie against Norwich but was rewarded with an impact he admitted was more remarkable than any in his managerial career.
Nketiah scored from a corner 15 seconds after entering the fray before heading home Arsenal’s extra time winner with a powerful leap.
The youngster has been a scoring sensation at youth level, where he briefly worked under Thierry Henry. Arsenal’s record goalscorer is one of several greats Nketiah now dreams of following.
He told Arsenal Player: “[I grew up watching] Thierry, Dennis Bergkamp, Ian Wright - they were all great strikers and attacking players and I watched them a lot, especially Thierry.
“When he was working with us I used to work with him quite a bit on and off the field, so I’m just trying to emulate even a little bit of what they can do, that would a dream come true for me.”
Nketiah certainly has Henry’s backing to make the grade in north London.
The Gunners icon tweeted after the comeback win: “What a night for Eddie Nketiah. So happy for him and not surprised at all!”
Henry is not the only one backing Nketiah for greatness, with Wenger hailing the youngster’s combination play and refusing to rule out further opportunities for him in the Premier League.
For now though Nketiah is basking in the glow of a remarkable introduction to the Emirates faithful, who spent most of extra time chanting “Eddie! Eddie!”
“I’m just thankful to the boss for giving me that opportunity to play and show what I can do - it’s a dream come true for me to get on and score not just one, but two goals to win us the game,” Nketiah added.
“That’s the most important thing and I’m just thankful for all the fans for the support they gave me, it’s great. I’m a childhood fan of the club, so for the fans to get behind me like that is a dream come true, I’m delighted and grateful.
“It’s overwhelming [to hear the fans singing my name], but you have to remember you’re here for a job and try to stay focused on the game… but it’s a great feeling.
“I’ve always dreamt of this as a kid and hopefully they can continue to support me and I can continue to get chances and impress them really, that’s what it’s about.”