Ipswich Town loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles 'to play for Arsenal'

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has already played one Champions League game for Arsenal

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy says he has "no doubt" on-loan winger Ainsley Maitland-Niles will become an Arsenal first-teamer in the future.

The 17-year-old, who has made three substitute appearances for the Gunners, took the corner for David McGoldrick's winner against Burnley on Tuesday.

"Wow. The talent of him; I think he's going to play for Arsenal, there's no doubt in my mind," McCarthy told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We are just so lucky to have him."

Maitland-Niles, who is on a season-long loan at Portman Road, has started all three of Town's Championship matches this term, helping McCarthy's side pick up seven points.

Champions League pedigree
Maitland-Niles made his Arsenal debut as a half-time substitute against Galatasaray in the Champions League in December

And the Ipswich boss revealed he had been keeping tabs on the England Under-18s international for some time.

"Nobody knew anything about him. I watched him play against Reading for [Arsenal's] under-21s last season and I thought he was great.

"I enquired about him in January, but they needed him for their Champions League squad," he said.

"He's such a lovely kid and all, he's fitted in perfectly. What's nice for him is we've got Josh Emmanuel, Myles Kenlock, Adam McDonnell and Teddy Bishop, they're his age and peers.

"I had the conversation with him 'I know you can play, but if you don't run around and don't put a shift in you won't play' but he's a workaholic."