Eberechi Eze: Crystal Palace forward on tears of rejection ahead of FA Cup final

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Eberechi Eze: Crystal Palace forward on tears of rejection ahead of FA Cup final

Talk to those who have known Eze since he was a boy honing his skills in a small yellow cage in Greenwich, and there is immense pride at how far he has come.

“Growing up in south-east London, playing football in cages was a social thing with our mates,” Dajon Golding, a school friend of Eze’s and now a striker at Scottish League Two side Elgin City, says.

“Even from a young age, Ebs always said he would play at the high level. A lot of us said that. We had big dreams and were naive.

“But it’s a testament to Ebs that he has achieved it.”

Eze’s younger brother Chimaechi, who plays for

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says he is a source of inspiration.

“As a little brother seeing all the setbacks he has gone through, if I am in that situation I don’t know if I could have continued,” he adds.

“So him showing that for the family helps everyone to push on when going through tough times. He is 100% an inspiration. He has shown you can always change the narrative.”

Despite his elevation to the England team, scoring against Latvia in March, Eze has not forgotten where it all started.

“I just got in contact with the two guys who taught me how to play football [in the cage], Gabriel and Rafael,” he adds. “They are the reason I play football the way I do now.

“They showed me all the skills and I owe so much to them.”

Lisa Shaw, Eze’s former teacher at Fossdene Primary School in Charlton, has seen how he had stayed connected with his roots.

She tells the story of him inviting children from his old school to watch Palace train.

“He sent a fleet of cars to pick them up. It was very generous,” she says.

“The children look up to him. He has had a lot of setbacks in his career but he was resilient. That’s why he’s such a good role model.”

Will Eze score another wonder goal in Saturday’s showpiece final – like he did in the semi-final?

“I think he felt at peace when that went in,” adds Golding about Eze’s stunner against Villa.

“Words cannot describe how proud I am to call Ebs my friend. I am super proud of his journey and what he is going to achieve in the future.

“I have seen all the highs and the lows he has been through – and it is breathtaking.”

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