Eberchi Eze: Tears to triumph as forward nears Arsenal return

Eze grew up playing cage football around Greenwich with his two brothers – who are both footballers now.

Chimaechi Eze, 22, was released by the Crystal Palace academy this summer – and Ikechi Eze, 28, plays for non-league side Dartford.

“He’s exactly how people see him on TV. Freedom, always smiling, laughing, a good character to be around” is how Chimaechi describes his older brother.

“When he’s playing I don't think there’s anything on his mind.

“Growing up where we’re from it forces you to get good at football quickly, otherwise you’re in trouble because bigger boys are around. If you’re not good you have to go.

“My favourite football memory is at younger ages – me, Ikechi, Ebere going to the Rec or yellow cages to play football in the early morning and afternoon and coming back in the evening. Playing football and doing what we love.

“It would get to 9 or 10 o’clock and she [their mother] would have to send people to come and get us because we’d been playing out all day.”

After playing football, the brothers would watch clips of footballers – including Ronaldinho and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry – to try to learn their skills.

Ikechi added: “When he was released by Arsenal he ended up very emotional. It showed his human side.

“By the time he was coming here [cages] he was already with academies.

“So the rare time he was allowed to come after a training session, you could tell he had something different from the other players we were kicking with.”

But Eze has interests other than football too – and picked up £15,000 weeks before the FA Cup final by winning an online chess competition against other celebrity content creators and athletes.

Lisa Shaw, his teacher at Fossdene Primary School in Charlton, told the BBC: “He didn’t neglect his studies. He was always near the top of the class for his learning.

“When I saw he’d won the chess tournament I thought ‘well done’ but I wasn’t surprised. He was always very determined to do well.”

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.”