'Hope he's got good people around him' - Advice for Nwaneri from ex-golden boy Bostock

Arsenal teen Ethan Nwaneri has been offered some words of advice and warning from former Crystal Palace and Tottenham ace John Bostock after making his senior debut aged just 15 years old.

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Nwaneri was given his professional debut before the international break, as Mikel Arteta named the schoolboy on the bench against Brentford and brought him on as a late substitute - seeing him smash the record for the Premier League's youngest ever player.

The midfielder was born in 2007 - that's after the Emirates Stadium was built and he wasn't even alive when the Gunners made the Champions League final in 2006.

His surprise appearance stirred plenty of debate, with questions being asked of Arteta's motives and the youngster being compared to the likes of Casc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere, the Gunners' other bright young things of the past, and even Wayne Rooney.

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And now fans - as well as the player himself - are waiting to see if he will keep his place on the bench for Saturday's north London derby against Tottenham, which is LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on talkSPORT.

The scenes and reaction might have caused a bit of a flashback for Bostock, who had the world at his feet when he also made his professional league debut for Palace at the age of 15.

A regular at England youth level, Bostock was given his generation's 'Golden Boy' moniker, and knows all too well how things don't always go to plan for the game's up-and-come young stars.

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A little under a year after his landmark moment for Palace, Bostock made the decision to leave Selhurst Park and, fast-forward 15 years, he is now looking for his 15th club.

Bostock joined talkSPORT along with Adrian Mariappa, who also knows what it's like to come through the ranks of a London club, making his debut as a teenager for Watford and going on to make over 150 Premier League appearances.

And they shared some advice for the young Gunner and his club, as Nwaneri begins what they hope will be a long career at the top of the game.

Speaking to talkSPORT as a brand ambassador for new British football boot brand Sokito, Bostock said: "First of all congratulations to him because, whatever the reason, he's been given the opportunity.

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"Arsenal clearly think he's good enough and to have that record at a club like Arsenal in a year where they're pushing to do something groundbreaking for the club over the last ten or 15 years, I think it speaks volumes about his ability and character.

"Obviously this is the start of a long journey. I made my debut at the same age and it's amazing to start fast and start well, but I think endurance is a keyword needed in the world of football.

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"So I wish him all the best, hats off to him and hopefully he can have a successful career. I hope he's got some good people around him, too. Talent is so important but I would say it's the other side of the game that will help him to have a long career.

"Hopefully he'll be a name we all remember and we will all be witnesses to the start of this amazing journey for him.

"I'm just also mindful, if I could give him some advice, it would be just to keep his head down.

"It's a massive achievement and it's quite incredible how quickly the media will take this situation and I know how they can build you up and at the same pace they can break you down.

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"So as a nation I think we should get behind him. He's an inspiration for a lot of young players out there, that even at big clubs you can get a chance.

"I've seen comments about Arteta questioning his motives, but at the end of the day if he feels he can give Ethan a chance to play, then why not? I think it's a good sign, especially for English football, for sure."

"The question has been asked, 'Is it responsible?', but a club like Arsenal with a manager like Arteta who seems so methodical in everything he does, and all the decisions he makes, I don't think he would have taken that decision lightly," added Jamaica international Mariappa.

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"First and foremost he would have been looking at him in training and thought he's ready to play. He doesn't seem like a manager who would give appearances for the sake of it.

"The club would have also thought about the welfare of the player before they put him in that position.

"But, ultimately, he's got the opportunity because he deserves it. He's made his Premier League debut at 15, that's unbelievable. He's at a good club, a massive club, and I'm sure and I hope will provide all the tools and the support he needs to deal with the pressure.

"When I started, I made my Premier League debut as a teenager, nowhere near as young as 15, but the media scrutiny was nowhere near what it is today. And I'm not sure whether he's still going to school or not, so he's got to deal with that as well!

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"I'm sure Arsenal will be doing everything to protect him as much as they can. At the end of the day he's their player and they know he's a young kid who is growing and learning.

"He's at a massive club and you think of all the great players, the young players who have come through there - Cesc Fabregas, who made his debut very young in an unbelievable team and you look at what he has gone on to do in the game, people like Jack Wilshere who only through injury saw his career was cut short.

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"Arsenal have got history with knowing how to help their young players and help them deal with everything that comes with being a Premier League footballer, especially when you're at such a young age.

"So I think Ethan is at a good place for his development. They obviously like him a lot, so all the best to him and hopefully he does have a great career at Arsenal."

Both Bostock and Mariappa speak from a place of experience, with the pair starting their senior careers as teens and now find themselves at the opposite end of the spectrum of their professional lives.

But that doesn't mean they are ready to hang up their boots just yet.

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"I'm just waiting for the next opportunity," said Bostock, who has been back training at former club Nottingham Forest to maintain his fitness after leaving Doncaster Rovers in the summer.

"I want to go back into a club and help the team in the best way I know how. It's a game where not a lot of people get their eyes on the ups and downs, you feel like you're there and a club is interested but it doesn't go through for one reason or another - it's disappointing.

"But I'm really grateful to Nottingham Forest, they've been brilliant with me. I've been training, I feel fit and ready. I'm 30 years old now so I hope to play for many more years to come.

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"As it stands now, I'm a free agent and waiting for the next opportunity, so hopefully very soon I'll be where I need to be."

That, he hopes, will be another club in the UK, having put his globetrotting days behind him after spells in Belgium, France - where he bagged two Player of the Year awards with Leuven and Ligue 2 side Lens - and Turkey.

"I actually came back from France because of my family," he explains. "I had six years away, I was at two clubs in France, two clubs in Belgium and a club in Turkey, and honestly speaking I would have liked to stay out there possibly for the rest of my career.

"But as a family man my priorities are my family first, and they sacrificed a lot for me to go on that journey abroad, so now I need to be back in England. That's why I'm back."

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Mariappa, 35, is also searching for his next club, but the defender also still represents and captains Jamaica at international level, and most recently played against Argentina where he had the unenviable task of marking Lionel Messi.

It's not the first time he's found himself without a team, but his personal training regime which includes regular work with a long-time fitness coach and a plant-based diet means he is 'ready when called upon'.

"I'm obviously a good few years older than John, but I'm staying fit - I've gone through a lot of work behind the scenes to keep myself fit and keep myself at the best level I can be and free of injury," he told talkSPORT.

"I try to control everything I can to keep myself in the best condition. I played a couple of international games last month and I'm away with the team now again, and it's great to be back with the boys and we play some huge games against big opposition.

"It proves that I'm still hungry to play and I know I've still got more to give. When I come back from international duty I'll assess the situation and see what the options are and I'll take it from there.

"It's not the first time I've been out of contract in my career. This is the fourth time I've missed a pre-season, but last year I missed a pre-season, went into the international games, played 30 games, and it was the same the year before. I'm ready to go when called upon.

"At my age, I must be doing something right! I just get the work done and try to look after myself and stay positive and be ready.

"Every time you get to walk out on the pitch is a blessing, and I don't take that for granted, especially at this stage of my career. I'm trying to savour every moment and am still hungry to do well and know I can still perform at that level.

"But performing for the team and doing your best for the team is what's most important - you do that well enough and the phone will ring, simple as that."

John Bostock and Adrian Mariappa are investors in UK brand Sokito - the world's first sustainable football boot brand developed to completely change the game.

Get more information and take a look at the new planet-friendly boots at Sokito.com