After 13 years of labour, Eberechi Eze would call the Emirates Stadium his spiritual destination. But **Selhurst Park**proved to be the perfect platform to make the final step to realising his prayers. He will never forget what **Crystal Palace**have meant to him as a sporting club as well as a community, speaking about his reflections on the experience of soaring with Eagles over the last five years as a talismanic ten.
‘They call us a family club’
While wearing the red and white shirt of **Arsenal**was always the dream, Eze has found a second sporting home in Selhurst Park. He transferred to Palace after bagging 14 goals for QPR in the 2019/20 **Championship**season, and the last five years have blossomed into a beautiful relationship.
“It feels like just yesterday I was walking through the doors joining from QPR. The day you gave me the chance to realise my dream of playing in the Premier League, For South London’s biggest club.”
What has happened to the attacker at the club has been much more than he ever could have imagined.
“From the start, I had goals set and my targets in place for what I wanted to achieve here at Palace but I had no idea of what these last 5 years would really turn out to be.”
Even at Palace, there have been trials and tribulations. He arrived at the club in the height of the COVID crisis, a tough time for anyone to transition to the next level in their professional career.
His first season showed brilliant quality, but a snapped Achilles tendon in a training session snatched five months of action from the attacker. He worked his way back to fitness and has not looked back, hitting double-digit league goals in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons before the magic of the last year.
“They call us a family club because it’s impossible to truly understand what it’s like to be part of this club unless you’re in it. They’re not wrong. Throughout the challenges of the COVID times, from the day I tore my Achilles and the long road of recovery to that night at Selhurst against Villa when I came back, up until this very day, the love you have all shown me, the way you all supported me.”
‘Thank you for believing in me’
Eze is indebted to the supporters of the side for what they have done to help him achieve greatness.
“How we’ve stood together no matter what, these are things that will live in my heart forever.
In this spell, the standout achievements are at Wembley Stadium. He opened the scoring against Aston Villa in the **FA Cup**semi-final on the way to a 3-0 victory before getting the only goal of the game against **Man City**three weeks later to win the first major honour in the history of the club.
The Community Shield crowned this triumphant arc as Palace beat **Liverpool**in a penalty shootout.
“That’s all before we made history together. Wembley, man. That whole journey. Words aren’t enough to describe what we all experienced that day so I’m not gunna try, but what I will say is that God did something for us that will connect us for generations.”
The response to seeing the Eagles soar to new heights has given him more fuel to fire his career.
“The most special day of my career because God gave us what no one thought was possible for us!”
Eze has now wrapped up a £68 million deal to join the Gunners. It is a substantial sum to reinvest in his old squad, but you cannot put a price on the bond that he has been building with Crystal Palace.
“So after all of this, all I really want to say is thank you. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for giving me a chance, and thank you for the love shared that will last a lifetime.”
‘Ebs is a great person’
Chairman Steve Parish has been signalling he would not like to see Marc Guehi go as a free agent when his contract runs out in 2026. But in the end, Eze was the man to leave, and he wished him well.
“Throughout five years here, Eberechi has been an incredible presence, having had a huge impact on Crystal Palace and been an inspiration for the people of South London.
He has sat on the board since 2010, seeing the Eagles soar into the top tier from the Championship over a decade ago. But the last three months have been witness to events never seen before for the Croydon club, and the Englishman expressed his admiration for Eze in making massive history.
"Eberechi's journey is truly incredible: from being released from multiple clubs, to scoring the Cup final-winning goal, and helping bring the club its first major trophy in 164 years, he is a huge inspiration and role model.”
If his sporting abilities are not enough, Eze has gone above and beyond to try to involve himself in the local community. He received the award of PFA Community Champion among the men's squad in the 2024/25 campaign, supporting Christmas shoots, judging panels, and recognising community leaders.
"Just as importantly, and no less inspirationally, Ebs is a great person, always positive, always a positive presence, and humble in his dealings with everyone, regularly giving his time to the club's charity and other philanthropy. He epitomises everything good about the modern footballer.”
Oliver Glasner gave the indication that the 27-year-old would have been in the squad for the first European fixture in the club's history. He was absent with "illness" before the announcement of his arrival at Arsenal, less than 48 hours after kickoff against **Fredrikstad**in South London.
A final parting gift with a continental appearance in front of the fans would be the perfect sendoff. However, the sense is that nobody will hold this early exit against Eze, not least the chairman.
*“We, as a club, will always hold Ebs in our hearts and wish him all the success for the future. He will always be welcome back at Selhurst Park.”*