Eberechi Eze moved from Crystal Palace to Arsenal for £67.5 million at age 27. He was released from Arsenal’s academy at 13 and also got let go from Fulham, Reading and Millwall youth setups before establishing himself professionally. At Queens Park Rangers he demonstrated a unique style, the ability to influence matches single-handedly and raw talent needing refinement. Rejection at various ages is commonplace in football, and success depends on how a player responds. Beyond natural ability, understanding how to work with coaches, interact with teammates and contribute off the ball is essential for progression and longevity in top-level football.
I was Eze's captain at Queens Park Rangers when he arrived at Loftus Road as a teenager in 2016, and immediately we could tell he was a unique player. Myself and a few other senior players that had played in the Premier League before -- including former Wolverhampton Wanderers skipper Karl Henry and defender James Perch -- remarked at the time about how different and special his style was.
You could never approach a duel with him half-heartedly because you would quickly be embarrassed. This is when we were back in the Championship, and Eze was probably one of the first players QPR had at that time who could almost manipulate a game by himself. He was so young, and of course there were things to refine -- on and off the ball -- but the talent was more than evident.
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