Ebere Eze: A look back at Crystal Palace ace’s exclusive interview with talkSPORT last year after completing move from QPR
Crystal Palace have announced the signing of highly-rated QPR forward Ebere Eze, in a deal worth in excess of £19.5million.
The imminent transfer ends Palace’s two-year pursuit of the attacker, who scored 14 goals and contributed eight assists for the Championship side in the 2019/20 campaign.
Eze has his chance to shine in the Premier League
talkSPORT revealed earlier this month that the Eagles had failed with an initial bid of around £12m, before getting a second offer turned down at the start of this week.
But after advanced discussions between the two clubs on Tuesday afternoon, a third offer matching Rangers’ asking price was met and Eze was given permission to finalise a move to Selhurst Park.
It was only a matter of time before Eze was going to get his dream Premier League move, and playing football on a full-time basis back in his beloved south London roots was something which always appealed to him.
QPR CEO Lee Hoos calls on football to make huge changes to its long-term planning
So much so that even a late West Brom bid – more lucrative than the offer Palace had on the table – didn’t sway Eze’s way of thinking.
It has been quite the journey for Eze, who talkSPORT.com spoke exclusively with at QPR’s training ground last April in what was his first major external interview, which you can read below…
Ebere Eze has established himself as one of the brightest young prospects in English football.
But it could have turned out very differently for the tricky playmaker had QPR not come calling three years ago.
Still only 20, Eze has endured more than his fair share of setbacks in his blossoming career so far.
Eze has experienced a topsy turvy start to his professional career, but is now starring at QPR
Eze describes himself as ‘confident, creative and level headed’
Growing up in Greenwich it was evident from an early age that he was a supremely gifted technical footballer. The first place that Eze, and many of his friends, went to after school was ‘the cage’.
You had to come and bring your ‘A’ game on those small, enclosed pitches or you were told in no uncertain terms not to return – such was the quality on show.
South London has become a hot-bed for young English talent, with current internationals Jadon Sancho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Joe Gomez just a few of the names who have grown up south of the Thames.
Eze was first picked up by Arsenal as an eight-year old, but five years later he was released by the Premier League side – a decision which left him crestfallen.
Spells at Reading and Fulham followed, before the tricky playmaker signed a two-year scholarship at Millwall.
He never made a first-team appearance for the Lions, despite catching the eye for the club’s Under-21 side, scoring a hat-trick against his current employers in October 2015.
The next summer Millwall boss Neil Harris informed Eze he wouldn’t be getting a professional contract in SE16. Once again he was back to square one.
The general consensus around those parts was that he wasn’t a ‘Millwall-type’ player and thus wouldn’t succeed at the club.
So what did Eze make of that decision?
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT.com, he said: “When I got released by Millwall, I understood the decision. I get why Neil made that call.
Harris made the decision to release Eze from Millwall back in 2016
“You could see in training and in matches that I wasn’t their typical type of player. I didn’t think I would get released at the time I did though – that came as a big shock to me.
“I thought I’d probably get another year there, even though it didn’t look like there was much chance of me getting near the first team.
“It took me by surprise, but ultimately it was a blessing in disguise.”
Once again Eze found himself in a state of limbo. After a number of unsuccessful trials, he was finally handed an opportunity by QPR.
Chris Ramsey, the club’s technical director, has a long standing relationship with Eze’s agent [Matt Warner] and QPR moved in swiftly to invite the attacker, who is also eligible to play for Nigeria through his parents, on trial.
Ramsey played an integral role in bringing the talented playmaker to Loftus Road
It wasn’t long before the creative dynamo would be signing his first contract in W12, after impressing Ramsey and co enough with his technical prowess, drive and work rate.
But before that chance came along, Eze admitted he was considering turning his back on football, with college or university on the horizon.
He added: “When I initially got released [by Millwall] I wasn’t too down, as there were plenty of clubs interested in me.
“But after being turned down by a few of them that’s when it really started hitting me. I was getting a bit worried – all I’ve ever wanted to do is to be a professional footballer.
“So then I was thinking about plan B and potentially going to university or college, and then QPR came along and gave me my big opportunity, which I’ll always be eternally grateful for.”
After netting nine goals in 14 starts for the club’s Elite Development squad, Eze was rewarded with a new contract in January 2017.
The 20-year-old started the 2018/19 campaign brightly, but his form dipped at the turn of the year
Eze made his senior debut against Blackburn in a FA Cup third round clash that month, but a promising 18-minute cameo was cut short by an Achilles injury.
The 2017/2018 campaign is when Eze really introduced himself to the Football League, and after an excellent loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers – managed by Rs favourite Gareth Ainsworth – he was ready to make his mark at Loftus Road.
Eze impressed in the second half of that campaign, featuring regularly under former Rangers boss Ian Holloway, who he knew from his time at Millwall.
Therefore, big things were expected of the youngster heading into this season after he put pen-to-paper on a new three-year deal in August.
Eze was also handed the iconic No.10 shirt by Steve McClaren, underlining how much confidence the former England and Middlesbrough boss had in him.
The shirt had previously been worn by club legends such as Rodney Marsh, Stan Bowles and Kevin Gallen – as well as the likes of John Byrne, Roy Wegerle and Adel Taarabt.
Eze sat down for an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.com at QPR’s training ground
He says this season has been a ‘huge learning curve’ for him
With that considerable pressure has been placed on his shoulders, so did that affect Eze?
“No, I didn’t see the No.10 shirt as too much pressure being put on me – it was a huge honour,” he said.
“Of course with that comes expectation, but at the end of the day I know what I’m capable of producing.
“I didn’t let that affect my mindset in terms of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to play.
“You have to deal with that pressure and expectation as a footballer, regardless of your age or status.
“I saw being given the No.10 shirt as an appreciation for what I had achieved so far and that people at the club believe I can on and establish himself as a key player here.
“At the end of the day I’ve got a job to do, and I’ve got to produce the goods and help this team as much as I can in the future.”
Eze was ‘really disappointed’ with the club’s decision to sack McClaren earlier this month
Eze has experienced a topsy turvy campaign, ‘a season of pain’ according to his former Under-23 coach and mentor Paul Hall.
After establishing himself as a regular under McClaren, he was taken out of the firing line and dropped to the bench after hitting a patchy run of form.
Eze, though, was ‘very disappointed’ to see his former boss – someone who he holds in very high regard – axed by the Hoops last month.
“It was really disappointing to see Steve leave. He played me on a regular basis and did a lot for me, both as a player and a person,” he revealed.
“The belief he showed in me is something I’ve only received from a few managers, so for him to be so honest and invest the amount of time he did into me is something I won’t forget.”
There remains a feeling around QPR that Eze can reach the very top of the game
A general feeling among many Rangers fans is that Eze’s progress stagnated under McClaren – an assertion he strongly disagrees with.
“No, that’s not true whatsoever. I continued learning under Steve,” he continued.
“He showed me a lot of things that I hadn’t seen before. I know what he did for me at the end of the day. He most definitely gave me a platform to show what I could do.
“I’ve played in a lot of games this season and taking my age into account that isn’t something you see that regularly at this level.
“My form had dipped a little bit from the start of the season, so I understood why Steve put me on the bench.
Eze, who qualifies to play for both England and Nigeria, has outstanding technical ability
“I have nothing but the utmost respect for Steve, he taught me so much. I have a lot to thank him for.”
So how would Eze sum up his season?
“A huge learning curve,” he says with a smile. “I was a bit naive at the beginning of the season, I thought it was going to be all rosey and we would probably push for the play-offs. It obviously didn’t turn out that way.
“When it’s going well you can’t be too high as things can change quickly – we’ve seen that ourselves.
“I’ve learnt more this season than any other period in my life. It’s been a vital lesson for me and it’s something I can take with me for the rest of my career to use as a platform to push on from.”
Eze has faced his fair share of criticism from QPR fans on social media regarding the quality of his performances – especially since the turn of the year.
The ‘lazy’ and ‘disinterested’ tag has cropped up a lot. What does Ebere have to say about that?
“It doesn’t faze me. Everyone is entitled to their opinion at the end of the day. Receiving criticism is part and parcel of being a footballer,” he explained.
“When it’s going well they talk about you just as much. You can’t be too up or too down.
“Fans are always going to comment on what is going on, so you have to deal with it. You have to be thick skinned.”
Eze’s team-mate Jordan Cousins, someone he has known since his teenage days, recently told talkSPORT he has no real interest in social media anymore, with fan abuse taking its toll on him.
So is coming off the likes of Twitter and Instagram something the youngster has considered doing himself?
“No. I haven’t got to the point where I’ve allowed it to really affect me. I go on and off it at the right time,” he explained.
“You can’t be on social media too much, especially as a footballer. It can really affect your confidence, especially if you’re getting a lot of stick.
“I don’t think some fans realise how these constant stream of negative comments can affect players. Maybe they think we don’t see these tweets or whatever – but believe me we do.
“For me personally I go on it [Twitter] for a little while and have a browse, but I don’t let comments from people I don’t know affect me.
“You can’t take it too seriously; you have to learn to ignore it. My brother (Ikechi) really helps with the mental side of things whenever I have something on my mind.
“Hally [Paul Hall], [Chris] Ramsey and Imps [Andy Impey] are also people I turn too.”
Hall believes the sky is the limit for the talented playmaker
talkSPORT revealed last month that Eze had been attracting interest from Championship promotion chasers Leeds, while he has also been watched by Premier League duo Tottenham and Crystal Palace this season.
The ‘confident, creative, level headed’ youngster – described in his own words – has a long way to get to the very top of the game – but he is confident he has what it takes to do that.
There is the same belief around QPR that Eze can eventually go on to play at the highest level.
“I tell Ebere he can be anything he wants to be. He’s the best player on the pitch when he’s on top form – it doesn’t matter who else is playing,” Hall said.
“In his case especially patience will be absolutely key if he’s going to develop into the player that we all know he is truly capable of becoming.”
Eze is on one hell of a rollercoaster, and Rangers fans should enjoy the ride – while they can.
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