Eberechi Eze was on Arsenal's books before they released him at the age of 13, and now the Crystal Palace star is out to prove them wrong on the biggest stage in English football
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13:40, 17 May 2025
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 23: Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace battles for possession with Raheem Sterling and Thomas Partey of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace FC at Emirates Stadium on April 23, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Eberechi Eze spent time at Arsenal in his youth(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Eberechi Eze is dreaming of firing Crystal Palace to FA Cup glory - but his dream of becoming a footballer almost didn't become a reality. England international Eze failed to make the cut at clubs such as Arsenal, Fulham, Millwall and Sunderland in his youth and had become 'used to the feeling' of being released by the time he was 20.
Now the midfielder is an established Premier League star, with a £67million release clause in his Palace contract. This Saturday, Eze will step out onto the hallowed Wembley turf for the FA Cup final, strengthened by the rejection which he constantly faced as a teenager.
It was Arsenal, who he scored against last month, where Eze felt the pain of being released for the first time. He was just 13 when the Gunners brushed him aside, as he revealed during an interview with the Independent in 2020: "I remember crying in my room for a solid week, my mum telling me that it's going to be okay but not being able to get over it.
"Then I went to Fulham and I was finally starting to enjoy my football again. We played Arsenal a few months later but, when I went over to shake the academy manager's hand, I started welling up. All the feelings came back."
Eze's spell with Fulham ended in more disappointment before moving on to Millwall. But at end of a two-year scholarship in the summer of 2016, Eze was told that he wouldn't be receiving a professional contract.
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He then had an unsuccessful trial with Sunderland, prompting him consider quitting football and getting a part-time job at Tesco. But in a turning point, Queens Park Rangers offered him a chance and Eze grabbed it with both hands, impressing enough to make his debut in January 2017.
The 26-year-old has never looked back and is the fulcrum of Palace's attack heading into Saturday's final against Manchester City. But Eze doesn't forget his heartache.
Should Arsenal try to bring back Eberechi Eze? Have your say in the comments section.
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 26: Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-0 with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Adam Wharton during the Emirates FA Cup Semi Final match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium on April 26, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Eberechi Eze was the star of Crystal Palace's FA Cup semi-final win
"I remember the deflation," Eze told BBC Sport this week. "But all I kept asking myself was: 'When's the next trial? When's the next trial?'"
Having won Man of the Match in Palace's 3-0 semi-final victory over Aston Villa, it's been reported that cup final opponents City are among the clubs interested in Eze while Arsenal and Tottenham have also been linked. Palace won't part ways easily, though, and the chance to play in the Europa League next season if the Eagles lift the trophy at Wembley could convince him to stay.
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