'Class act' Eze's rise from reject to England call

2 years ago 40

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Eberechi Eze's journey to the England squad has not been straightforward.

Turned down by four clubs before signing a professional deal with Queen's Park Rangers, the Crystal Palace midfielder has had to deal with rejection, doubters, loan deals and a major injury that kept him out of the game for a year.

All of that seems a world away from where he is now - in the England squad and likely to make his debut in one of the two European qualifiers in the coming days.

The 25-year-old has been in excellent form for Crystal Palace, in particular since Roy Hodgson returned to the club as manager for the last couple of months of the 2022-23 season, finishing as Palace's top scorer with 10 Premier League goals.

It is not the first time Eze has been called up to Gareth Southgate's squad. He was included in the provisional squad for Euro 2020 but in a cruel twist of fate, the same day he got the message, he suffered a major Achilles tendon injury which kept him out of the game for 12 months.

However, it was not always clear the midfielder would make it to the top.

England Euro 2024 qualifiers: Eze says he is grateful to Hodgson

After spells at Arsenal, Reading, Fulham and Millwall, a then 18-year-old Eze was without a professional contract when he was brought to the attention of Chris Ramsey, the technical director at QPR.

"He was coachable and a very approachable person and willing to listen," Ramsey explains. "Not always able to execute, because he was learning at the time, but he was willing to listen and work hard.

"It was a team effort really, Paul Hall, Andy Impey and myself looked at it and decided he was worthy of a one-year deal. Between the three of us, we clicked with him and his personality.

"He also had [QPR's director of football] Les Ferdinand to lean on, who could give him some advice and made sure the first team were keeping to the plan which we were brought in to do, which was to get youngsters nearer to the first team."

Eze was showing promise but the leap from youth team academy football into the professional men's game is a big one and something a lot of younger players find difficult.

A loan move to Wycombe helped him experience another side to the game and embrace what Ramsey calls the "three-points-for-a-win attitude".

"When you're enjoying football a lot, it's about the performance, but there's also some dark arts you need to learn when you're playing against men who are playing to pay their mortgages," he adds.

"Les was the one who stopped him going back the second time, which is when he really started integrating into the first team."

Eze's reputation continued to grow after that loan in League One and Ferdinand stopped him going back to Wycombe for another spell so he could instead integrate with the first team at QPR and showcase his ability.

"We're not saying we knew he could become an international but we knew he had the ability to play at the highest level," Ramsey says.

"Timing has a lot to do with it and getting managers that have the confidence to let him express himself.

"The way he is as a person allows him to absorb what people are telling him and take on board what will take him to the next level."

'He was a different animal'

Joel Lynch, a centre-back who has played more than 400 career games and a Wales international, was one of the senior players in the QPR first team when Eze started training with the squad.

Eze grabbed his attention straight away.

"I thought he was really talented, he was quite raw and really skilful, a great touch," Lynch says. "The first thing I probably noticed about him was the way he floated with the ball.

"It was almost like he ran quicker with the ball than he did without. He was a young kid, really quiet. He had a proper laugh about him and was smiling all the time. You could tell he properly enjoyed it.

"Compared to a lot of young kids, his attitude just stands out. The way he has grown and the way he is now, you can tell how he is so completely different to so many other young players."

Like Ramsey, Lynch noticed a huge difference in Eze's game when he returned from his loan spell.

"He was a brilliant player before he went but when he came back he was just a different animal. It was just mad. I don't know what happened to him but when he came back he was unbelievable, just a completely different player.

"Every bit of his game was better. He literally came back our best player. He was miles above the rest really.

"The way he carries himself is perfect. If any young lad coming through the game wants to look at a player it would be him, he's the prime example of how to be a professional. He's a class act."

However, Eze's tricks and skills became a problem for Lynch in training.

"I just wouldn't go near him," he adds. "He'd just do some madness and try and nutmeg me.

"Before the start of games, where everyone is giving each other high fives, I'd go up to him and say 'mate, score a couple now so we can all go home. Just win us the game please'.

"He was that good. I actually thought at the time he could literally just win us the game. The only time I watch the Premier League now is to watch him play."

'People said he'd never play Premier League'

Eberechi Eze celebrating a goal for Crystal Palace

In August 2020, Eze left QPR to join Palace in the Premier League for £19.5m.

"It was the right time," says Ramsey. "He'd done his bit at QPR. It had come to a point where he needed to go to the next level."

The Achilles injury a year later threatened to stall his progress, but Eze has only reached new heights since his return.

"That goes to show the making of the man," says Ramsey. "To get through the injury and get to the level he's at it, goes to show you the person he is.

"It wasn't easy for him as there were a lot of doubters because of his style of play - he's had a lot of ups and downs. Lots of people said he would never play in the Premier League.

"He's had to fight to get to the next bit. I think he uses that doubt to get him to the next level."

Palace defender Marc Guehi, who is also in the current England squad, was never one of those to doubt his team-mate.

"Unbelievable," the 22-year-old says. "From where he has come from with the injury he had, he has shown unbelievable mental strength to get back to this position. I'm just so happy for him.

"He's a special human being, you can't say anything bad about him as a person, he's an amazing person to have around the training ground.

"Everyone can see how good he is. He's a top player."

Hodgson was in charge when Palace signed Eze and the former England manager has played a big part in his development, with Eze crediting the 75-year-old's "insane wisdom".

"The only advice I can give him is to be himself," says Hodgson.

"Go there and be relaxed enough to show how good he is. Show how good he is in training when he is here. If he does that, Gareth and [England assistant manager] Steve [Holland] will be more than happy with him."

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