Super Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo says Eberechi Eze found it difficult to make the grade at Arsenal’s academy and was eventually released after falling short of their standards, SportPremi reports.
Eze, who was previously eligible to play for Nigeria due to his parental background, began his youth career at Arsenal and spent five years at the club before leaving in 2011 aged 13.
- Read this: How Nigerians fared in EPL match-day 12
The England international returned to the club for a second spell in the summer, joining from Crystal Palace in a £67.5 million deal.
The 27-year-old has enjoyed an impressive career and netted a stunning hat-trick for Arsenal in their 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, a club he was close to joining in the summer, on Sunday.
What Omeruo said
Nigerian defender Kenneth Omeruo, who also began his football career in the academy of Chelsea but struggled to break into the main team, spoke about the need to develop grassroots football in Nigeria.
The 32-year-old pointed to Eze as an example, noting that the England international initially found it difficult at Arsenal’s academy before eventually rising to prominence.
The Super Eagles missed out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing in the CAF Playoff final to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“In Europe, every club have the U10s and U11s, and they graduate. Every year, there’s screening; if you don’t get to the next level, they take you out”, Omeruo revealed.
“For example, you know the story of Ebere (Eze) now playing for Arsenal. When he was in Arsenal, he couldn’t make it to the next level.
There are other players who were better than him then, so if you can’t get to the next level, you can go to another academy.”
Eze inspires Arsenal to derby win
Arsenal recorded a comprehensive 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the 198th North London derby on Sunday.
The Gunners dominated the clash and opened scoring in the first half through a deflected effort from Leandro Trossard.
Eze, playing in the clash for the first time in his career, then stole the spotlight with a brilliant performance.
The England forward scored his first and Arsenal’s second before halftime after gliding past a couple of challenges.
The 27-year-old then scored a second of the game moments after the interval, before completing his treble minutes after Richarlison had pulled one back for the visitors.
The Gunners sealed the victory and claimed a fourth consecutive league win over their rivals for the first time in EPL history.
