I helped turn Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly into Arsenal stars with my unconventional youth coaching methods

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I helped turn Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly into Arsenal stars with my unconventional youth coaching methods
Author: Kealan Hughes
Published: Jan, 23 2025 14:32

DAN MICCICHE played a key role in developing Arsenal talents Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly using some unique methods. The experienced youth coach is now Player Development Lead Coach at Everton, but was previously England Under-16s boss where he worked with Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho, to name just a few.

 [Dan Micciche, manager of Milton Keynes Dons.]
Image Credit: The Sun [Dan Micciche, manager of Milton Keynes Dons.]

He has since worked at Arsenal, where he nurtured the talent of Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, helping the former to create history by becoming the youngest player to make his debut in the Premier League. Micciche, 45, worked as Arsenal U15s boss for three years before moving on to the U18s for the 2021-22 campaign, and he is not surprised to see that pair now in the first-team given their focus as teenagers.

 [Group photo of a youth soccer team in white uniforms with coaches.]
Image Credit: The Sun [Group photo of a youth soccer team in white uniforms with coaches.]

Both Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly have slotted seamlessly into the first-team - the end product of a long journey that is as much about developing the person as the player. Micciche knows better than most the importance of coaching every aspect of a player, and while they have to be technically excellent to handle first-team training, their physicality and education is equally important.

 [Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal in their team jerseys.]
Image Credit: The Sun [Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal in their team jerseys.]

Micciche told SunSport: "You've got to be careful not to specialise them too early. One, it is important they play other sports, in particular ones that transfer into football, but secondly positionally as well. "The more they can, for physical literacy, utilise other sports in a controlled manner, the better.

 [Myles Lewis-Skelly Arsenal 2024-25 season statistics.]
Image Credit: The Sun [Myles Lewis-Skelly Arsenal 2024-25 season statistics.]

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