Eze on setbacks, pressure, family, social media, chess and more

Palace’s No. 10, of course, scored arguably the most iconic goal in the club’s history at Wembley in the FA Cup final last month, but how did it all lead up to that moment? How did the meteoric rise of Ebere Eze take place, and what made him who he is today…?

Q: Let's take it back to growing up, South London. How much would you say that South London has shaped who you are today?

EE: Yeah, massively. Massively. Just growing up in places that are so diverse, with so many different people from different walks of life, you're just experiencing and exposed to a lot of the world all in one place.

So, it definitely shaped the way I think, the way that I see the world and see life. But also, that sort of drive to get out, to achieve something, to make something of yourself.

Q: Thinking about childhood, what are some of your favourite memories?

EE: I guess my memories would be playing round the corner from my house. And it would just be me, my brothers.

We would just be creating games in the little... we used to call it 'puddle,' because I don't know what this place was, but it was like, just a puddle that wouldn't dry up!

I would say that's probably where my love for football started.

Q: What sort of player were you as a young baller?

EE: I think I'm the same player, I'm just more efficient now.

Like, I play football with the aim of winning and scoring and along with that comes the enjoyment of nutmegging people, running past people, whatever, whereas when I was younger, that's all I cared about.

I wanted to rip people, I wanted to skill people, I wanted to nutmeg them. If I scored, it was good. But I just wanted you to know that I'm better than you. That was my aim.

For every game, I needed to show everyone that I'm the best player on the pitch and no one can do what I can do. Bro, that was a good thing growing up.

I don't know, man. But it's got me here, so it's helped me.

Q: How important would you say your family has been? And especially in those early days of you pursuing your career in football?

EE: Yeah, crazy. I can't thank them enough for what they've done for me. Before I even understood what was good for me, they were putting things in place and always sacrificing themselves, always trying to put me first to help me on this journey.

My mum was driving on motorways. When I got released, I think I was on trial at like Southend or something. My Mum, she's not on the driving thing! She don't want to drive, but my dad's at work and she's driving to Southend, on the motorway.

She's going like 40 miles an hour. I'm like, ‘we're going to be more than late, bro. This doesn't even make sense at this point!’

I can't explain what my parents have done. When I speak to them about it, I'm like, 'why did, why were you doing this?' They don't understand why they were doing it.

Ask them, 'did you know that there was money in football?' No, we didn't know you got paid until I got to QPR. I'm a big man at that point!

They didn't really even understand what they were doing, but they knew that it's what we wanted to do. They knew that we wanted to play, so they were just trying their best.

I'm forever in debt to my parents, my siblings – just the love that was shared despite difficulties.

Q: Even though your parents made a lot of sacrifices, you as a young person had to sacrifice a lot. What did you have to sacrifice at a young age to become the professional you are today?

EE: This is probably the first time I've actually clocked it. I actually sacrificed my whole, like, schooling completely, really. Without knowing, at the time, I thought I was just doing what was right and going to school and whatever.

But I'll be honest, at that point, football was it. Me leaving school, we're doing half-days. I know I'm not even getting the education I should be getting, because we're preparing for an exam, but I've got training.

So it was like, 'okay, this ball ting has to work really and truly.' I think that's probably the moment where I clocked, like 'okay, cool. We've got to put all our eggs in this one still!’

Because of football and what I wanted to achieve, I could see that I had to do a lot to achieve this, and to be in this position, a lot has to be sacrificed, man. Being in the academy and training, having a structure and discipline outside of school, it definitely made it easier to say 'no' to a whole bunch of stuff because I've got training and I've got a match or I've got this or whatever.

So yeah, friendships, you know, they're maybe not fruitful. They're not the avenue that you can take if you're trying to pursue this football thing. Relationships are probably the next biggest sacrifice. You can't go to certain parties, you can't do certain things.

I tried, I tried! But it just would never work out, because you know if something's not in line with the desire that you have, the goal that you're trying to achieve. If you do anything that deviates from that, it's you that's accountable for that, and you have to understand that.

I feel like I had that from a young age. If this isn't in line with what I want to do, then leave me out of it.

Q: Thinking about your journey to now, it's been a long one, with many different stops on the way. But let's take it all the way back, and walk through.

EE: So I started at Prostar, Sunday league team, then moved to Bruin JFC, and then got scouted by four or five teams, I chose to go to Arsenal. From Arsenal, eight/nine til 13, released. Went to Fulham, 13 til 16, released.

Half a season at Reading. Went to Millwall for my scholarship. Played there for two years, got released from there. Went on trial to Bristol City, Sunderland. I think that was it, and then I got signed at QPR that summer.

And yeah, from there it's just sort of been the journey of climbing in professional football from there to Palace, where I am now.

Q: How did you handle that first rejection after Arsenal, and then subsequently the rejections that came after that?

EE: So the first one was probably the toughest one because I was so young. I didn't really understand anything else other than Arsenal. Everything was Arsenal.

You'd go watch them on TV, go and watch games. It was just Arsenal. So yeah, I just remember crying and being so upset.

Mum was crying. Everyone was crying. Everyone was so upset, but I think it's because everyone saw that as what football was. And it wasn't until maybe going on trial that you saw there's actually so many other clubs.

That was probably the toughest one. After that, I would say it became like a character-building thing. My trust and faith in God and the gift that you've given me, I just allowed it to fuel me and fill me up, which was important.

Q: Did you ever lose your love for the game in those moments?

EE: No, I never, I never stopped loving football. It's even the same now. It's like you deal with things outside of football and you may not love them as much, but the craft and art of football, that's never, ever changed.

And I'll forever love nutmegging people, I'll forever love scoring. I'll forever love winning. That's everything for me.

It doesn't mean that it's not difficult. It's still difficult to get through those times. And I remember thinking like, ‘why is this so hard? Why is it so difficult to get to where I want to get to?’

But yeah, the love for football never, never changed. I don't think it will ever change either.

Q: How impactful were these rejections on the way you played football?

EE: I do remember feeling maybe not appreciated, or people not really understanding the type of player I was or how good I was and that type of stuff. So being real, it was probably a battle until I got to QPR, where I met managers who were like, 'oh my days, yeah, this is what we need. This is what we can see you here in this position doing this.

'You need to work on this. You need to apply yourself in this area, but this talent that you've got here will work like this.'

It was a long journey to get into that point. And it took a lot of honing of those skills that I did have, and not being deterred from sticking at it and continuing to do what I love.

Q: Your first pro deal – talk us through that. How did that feel when the moment finally came?

EE: That was just relief, man. Straight relief. There was no other word to describe that, because of the journey of getting there.

It's like that's what you've been working towards the whole time. And not just the pro, but the team that I was then joining and the people that were there.

I was like, 'okay, these guys actually see me'. They actually appreciate why I'm on. So it was the relief that I'd found somewhere, which was, yeah, crazy special, man.

Q: Did being seen and understood mean a lot to you, especially as a young player?

EE: Yeah. Cause I feel like... I'm confident that most players have talent, have the gift, have ability. If you're playing, if you're playing at an academy at 20, you're probably good enough.

So you've got something. It takes a manager to pour into you and to nurture you and to help you. And I feel like with most players, if they get that, they can achieve it.

They can get their best. It's just about who gets that. And I was just, yeah, just grateful that it was me.

And for sure it's played a huge part in me playing with the type of confidence that I have now and the freedom that I have.

Q: How does that compare to when you signed for Palace? What did that move mean to you, especially with the journey you'd been on?

EE: It was another step on the journey of trying to achieve, trying to become better. And it was almost like a validation of everything that's happened before and we've still managed to get here.

So on a personal level, it was like a bit of, yeah, 'I knew I was right from the start.'

This is just confirmation of that. And the aim is to continue. That's always been, it's part of the journey.

That's the way I see it.

Q: How do you think your mentality has adapted throughout not just your career, but your life?

EE: I think my mentality has shifted massively [to] just a more experienced and better perspective because it is crazy.

There's a lot going on and it's, if you haven't got a firm foundation, then it is difficult to manage.

But I feel like, yeah, as I've grown and matured, I've learned to enjoy this and to appreciate everything that I have.

Q: Thinking back to 2021, that Achilles injury was a big moment. It's a big chapter within your story. Mentally, what were you going through? How did you feel?

EE: I think being injured is always tough because you're managing your identity in that sense because you're known as Ebere the footballer. And when you go out, it's Ebere the footballer that people are seeing. So for me, managing that was a bit difficult.

It wasn't until I started to, again, [see] this is part of maturing and understanding who I am, who I really am. It was only then that I started to say, ‘okay, I can manage this a bit better, I can go for it.’

But at the time, it's tough, man, because you're looking outside and the one thing that you know, that people know you for and you know yourself for at this point is playing football, but you can't do it.

You're just going in the gym, you're watching sessions, you're doing this. So it's definitely a difficult period, a lonely period.

Q: Talk me through what happened that day of the injury.

EE: It's a normal day of training. We're playing small-sided games and someone passed me the ball.

I go to control it and then push off to run with it. It feels like someone kicks me in the back of my leg, turn around, no one's there. You know something bad has happened.

Doctor took me into the physio room. He told me that it was ruptured. I sort of didn't believe it.

I was like, 'nah, it's not like, surely, man, I can still do this and that.' He's like, 'yeah, no, it's ruptured, man.'

I remember tears pouring from my face for a little while and then going inside to call my missus, my Mum and all that, and I saw a message from England.

It was saying that 'you're part of the provisional for England seniors.' And yeah, I've spoken about this before, but for me, that was like confirmation of 'don't stress. You're on the journey, you're on the trajectory, you're going to get there. This is something you have to hold for now.'

So I took mad confidence from that, but the day itself was, yeah, it was tough. It was a tough one.

Q: What's been your own personal experience of social media, as someone who's in the public eye?

EE: I feel that's been a journey of learning how to handle it, how to manage it. I went from obviously being young, playing professional football and getting a lot of attention and not knowing how to really handle it and how to process it, how to perceive all of that. Now it's a lot easier because you sort of see it for what it is.

Before, I'm scrolling after the game, typing, 'Eze, QPR,' scrolling, finding out 'what are they saying about me? What's Sky Sports got? Ah, these man think I play dead? Oh, okay, cool.' And you deal with that.

So for me, I've gone from one end of the spectrum where it's like I'm fully immersed in it and I've watched that affect me as a player, and how I'm playing football at the weekend... to now, where I don't have any of it. And for me, man, peace of mind is everything. You can get lost in social media and people's opinions and these things.

Whereas that's why, now, I take my joy in just like, 'I actually don't know what he said about me, but it doesn't actually matter what he said about me. I'm doing my thing and that's as far as it goes now.' But it's definitely a journey.

Q: What's one comment that you read once that just made your head?

EE: One comment? I've seen some mad comments, G! I remember there was a guy at QPR, yeah, because he was killing me, bro, every week.

And the thing is, I'm there every week as a 19 or 18-year-old, typing my name like a clown. I'm seeing him every week, killing me. 'Eze again, useless.'

And all of a sudden. Bro, 'Eze again, useless!' Exclamation point, bro!

Scroll through a man's page, I'm just seeing him. Like, bro, 'Eze, working me to death.' And do you know how mad that is?

I was, the amount of times that I clicked on that guy's page, I'm like, 'I need to find him. I need to find him. And I need to say, would you say that to my face?!'

But like, that's me being young, innit? That's me being young. And the funny thing is, you realise that some of the things that are being said... it's not real life. It's not real life.

And then I'm also seeing from the same guy, when I'm moving, he's like: 'Eze, I always knew he was gonna be something. Always knew he was gonna achieve great things.'

All of this, but that's the world that that is, innit? So for me now, I've learnt and understood now. Taking it seriously is the problem.

Q: Beyond football, one thing that I know you're very proud of is your personal foundation, which is doing amazing things. Why did you start the foundation?

EE: I say we started the Eze Foundation, me and my brothers, my whole family, to be fair. We started it because I feel like we want to give as much as we possibly can.

We know that exposing the younger generation to life beyond being a footballer, being a rapper or whatever, there's so much that you can do and so much that you can achieve and job roles that you've never even heard of, but would be perfect for you.

So yeah, that's the mission of the Foundation.

Q: A chess champion! What does chess mean to you?

EE: Guy actually called me a chess champion! I don't even know what to say about that, man.

I'll be real, I just like chess. I'm gonna say I've been playing for two years and yeah, it's just something that my brother again, Michael Olise, they put me on, they just got me started on playing a game against them. Just be losing all the time, getting smoked.

To then learning, going on YouTube, figuring out how to do openings and this and that. So yes, it's crazy, but that's a part of me that I enjoy outside of football. I enjoy that type of stuff.

I enjoy like puzzles, all that type of stuff, man. So try to be a simple guy.

Q: What is it that you enjoy? Is it the sense of discovery? Because of course, football you're always learning, but it's something you've been doing since the age of nine. You said you picked this up two years ago?

EE: Yeah. I didn't even know chess was like a thing for you to learn. I've never even thought about doing that as a kid, so the fact that I'm playing now is something that's fun for me.

I'm taking lessons, man. I'm trying to become good at it. I feel like it's something that is new, it's different. And for me, there's a level of competitiveness to it as well, like I wanna be the best.

I wanna beat anyone that I'm facing. So that's probably what helped me win the tournament.

Q: Throughout your career, you've been thrown curve balls, hurdles, whether that's in life or playing football, and you've managed to keep moving forward. What one piece of advice would you have for anyone that wants to do the same?

EE: I'd say be relentless in your pursuit of whatever it is you want to achieve.

There's something in that, and there's something in working at a craft non-stop, and driving towards being the best version of yourself and maximising whatever potential it is that you have, having that desire, having that passion, and just like relentlessly driving towards it, man.

Q: Quickfire questions – what daily ritual do you have that makes you feel more confident?

EE: Prayer.

Q: What's a moment that gets you sweating more than a 90-minute penalty?

EE: Last man standing on Call of Duty: Warzone.

Q: What's one thing you always pack for away games?

EE: Gotta have my deodorant, man. Can't be stinking after games, man!

Q: What's your go-to way to chill out after a long day?

EE: Go home and watch The Office (US).

Q: What's a nickname people don't know about?

EE: I can get myself cooked here, though, innit? I used to be called Iceman! I can't even explain that one.

Q: What's a goal you wish you scored?

EE: The chance against Switzerland in the Euros, when I cut in. Instead of opening up and bending it, I went near post.

Q: What's one lesson from sport that helps you in everyday life?

EE: It takes time to improve and to get better.