The real reason why Eberechi Eze was released by Arsenal as a teenager has now come to light ahead of his £67.5 million return from Crystal Palace this summer. The England international looked set for a move to Tottenham just last week, but an injury to Kai Havertz forced Mikel Arteta’s recruitment team to hit the panic button and hijack talks between their former youth player and their north London rivals.
Eze’s imminent switch from Selhurst Park - where he contributed 68 goal involvements in 169 appearances as Crystal Palace embarked on their most successful spell with FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs at Wembley Stadium - marks a full-circle moment for the boyhood Gunners fan, whose idol growing up was Thierry Henry. Born in Greenwich, Eze joined Arsenal’s Hale End academy as an eight-year-old in 2006, just two years after the club’s famous Invincibles season.
Yet, one missing trait in his game saw him released in 2011, leaving him to pick up the pieces and rebuild his career elsewhere. He was also released by Fulham, Millwall and Reading as a youngster and had unsuccessful trials at Sunderland, Bristol City and Swansea, before QPR finally took them under their wing and helped him on his way to becoming one of England's most naturally-gifted footballers right now and potentially the final piece to his new club's jigsaw puzzle.
Why Arsenal Released Eberechi Eze During His Youth Career
eberechi eze
Eze’s latest move fulfills a long-term goal, giving him the chance to tackle some unfinished business and prove just how far he has come since his leap from the cages of south London to the pitches of Hale End ended in heartbreak.
A recent Daily Mail article attributed that early setback, 14 years ago, to his then-academy manager’s belief that the midfielder-turned-winger’s defensive work rate was not up to standard - a rare weakness in an otherwise spotless skillset that affected Eze for years (as shown in the emotional video below).
Capable of playing off the left or through the middle behind new signing Viktor Gyokeres, Eze now joins a Gunners side ready to take another step in the right direction and chip away at a two-decade-long league title drought. Attacking output has often been a thorn in Arteta’s side over the last several seasons, but Eze could be just the tonic they so desperately need.
Eberechi Eze
Upon his arrival at the Emirates Stadium, the end goal will be redemption, though his new club needs it just as much as he does after finishing second in the Premier League in each of the last three seasons. Only time will tell if Eze, who modestly described himself as little more than “the guy in the Arsenal shirt" in the past, can rise to the occasion and become a hero in north London.