Crystal Palace star admits “It was my dream to play for Arsenal”

Sometimes football can be a cruel game and when you’re looking to play at the highest level, with some of the best teams in the world, making the cut can be almost impossible and considering how many young players from academies just don’t make it, it’s a hard industry to be in and can be heart breaking from some young lads looking to come up into first team football.

Eberechi Eze, who was let go from Arsenal’s academy when he was just a teenager but has recently been killing it for Crystal Palace in the Premier League. He has really made a name for himself now and has now been called up to the England provisional squad for the Euro’s. It looks like he has found a spot in Gareth Southgate’s side.

The 25-year-old midfielder was asked in a press conference before England’s friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina where they walked away 3-0 winners, how it felt the day he was released from Arsenal and said this “I was 13 when I was released. That was the worst one. I remember crying in my room for a solid week, my mum telling me that it’s going to be OK 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. My dream was to play for Arsenal so hearing them say no at 13 that was tough and I remember like training after I got released and I couldn’t focus.”

“I was crying but I think that helped me so much in the other rejections because if I can get through Arsenal releasing me I can get through any other club releasing me. My mindset was if it was not going to be Arsenal I have to find somewhere else.”

Watching the way Eze has been able to overcome the heartbreak of being released is massive, not many players end up getting past that stage and back into playing football and as the transfer window is opening, we now are set to let a lot of our youth go and it seems like some what of a vicious cycle from afar.

Of course it does pull on the heart strings a bit when you think about all those young players who couldn’t make it at Arsenal but went on to overcome the rejection to still make it somewhere else, like a certain Harry Kane as well as Eze..

Daisy Mae

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