Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken glowingly about 18-year-old Ceadach O'Neill, declaring the club hold "big hopes" for the young Northern Ireland international.

O'Neill, a winger who came through Linfield before joining Arsenal's academy, has featured prominently in the Gunners' pre-season schedule this month. He has seen action in friendlies against Girona and Real Betis, and also found the net in a behind-closed-doors match against MK Dons.

"I've been really impressed with him," Arteta told BBC Sport NI's Thomas Kane following Wednesday's 3-1 pre-season defeat to Real Betis in Dublin. "For his age, he's really mature, really focused, and he has tremendous quality. He's a player that we have big hopes with and we just need to develop him in the right way."

A rapid rise through the ranks

O'Neill's emergence has been striking. After registering 18 goals in 30 academy appearances, he received a call-up to the Northern Ireland senior squad even before earning a first-team debut for the Premier League champions.

He came off the bench for Michael O'Neill's side in June's friendly against Guinea, then featured again four days later in a match against France — two experiences he credits with sharpening his readiness for pre-season.

The teenager remains eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland, but expressed hope that he will feature for Northern Ireland when their Nations League campaign kicks off away to Georgia next month. For now, however, his attention is firmly on impressing at club level.

"At the minute I'm just going to take it day by day, keep coming in and giving it my best. That's all I can do," O'Neill said. "I've been talking to Michael recently but I have to keep pushing at club level and we'll see what happens. I'm really enjoying what I'm doing and where I'm at."