Football News Rewrite
When the text came through from the Football Association this time, it is reasonable to assume that Eberechi Eze had a flashback – and a harrowing one as well – to the episode he describes as “the biggest test” he has faced. And it is certainly worth saying that the bar is set high in this regard.
Before the previous European Championship, played in 2021, Eze clicked on a message to say he had been included on Gareth Southgate’s list of players for the tournament, before the announcement of the provisional squad a week or so later. It was Eze’s first senior England recognition. The problem was that he had just been helped off the Crystal Palace training pitch, having ruptured an Achilles tendon.
Making the Euro 2024 Squad
However, this time around, when Eze heard on 21 May that he was in Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024, he wanted to look forward; to make it happen and get to Germany. The 25-year-old had effectively seen off Marcus Rashford, and there would be more stellar names between him and the final cut, the competition so hot for the attacking places in the line behind the striker.
Eze acknowledges that the Achilles injury is “part of the journey, part of the story.” He talks about how tough it was to watch the previous Euros, “overthinking” and “Oh, imagine if I was there or whatever.” But his mindset has changed, and he is ready to give his all at the upcoming tournament.
Overcoming Setbacks
In addition to his journey back from the Achilles injury, Eze also speaks about being released as a teenager by Arsenal, Fulham, Reading, and Millwall, the last of them after his second year as a scholar leading up to his 18th birthday. He says he doesn’t fully understand the reasons why, but he doesn’t look back and think he didn’t deserve it.
Eze’s rise has been remarkable, from the Wycombe days in League Two to his current status as a coveted Premier League player, pursued by the likes of Tottenham. He is now primed to make a difference at the Euros, where Southgate will rely heavily on his substitutes or, as he calls them, “finishers.”
“The 25-year-old’s journey is a testament to his resilience, determination, and faith. As he looks ahead to Euro 2024, he is grateful for the opportunity and determined to seize it, leaving the past behind and focusing on the task at hand.”
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