Eberechi Eze Admits He ‘Deserved To Get Released’ After Arsenal Heartbreak As £60m Star Opens Up On Early Setbacks

Eze Reflects On Youth Career And Arsenal Release

Eberechi Eze has candidly revealed that he “probably deserved to get released” during his youth career, discussing the setbacks that shaped his path to professional football. Speaking to former teammate Adebayo Akinfenwa on the Beast Mode On Podcast, Eze opened up about being released by Arsenal as a 13-year-old and later missing out on a professional contract at Millwall.

The Long Road Back To Arsenal

Eze joined Arsenal as an eight-year-old and spent five years at the club before being released. He then spent time at Fulham and Reading, eventually earning a two-year apprenticeship at Millwall.

Failing to make the grade at The Den, Eze’s career could have stalled, but a move to Queens Park Rangers reignited his trajectory. Impressing technical director Chris Ramsey and enjoying a loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers, Eze made 104 league appearances for QPR before signing with Crystal Palace in 2020 for a reported £17 million.

After five successful years at Selhurst Park, including an FA Cup-winning goal, Eze returned to his boyhood club Arsenal in a £60m transfer, shining a light on his remarkable journey.

Learning From Setbacks: Millwall Release

Eze admits the harsh reality hit him when he was released by Millwall at 17. He told Akinfenwa:

“Getting released from Millwall at 17… that’s when I realised, ‘OK, this is real’. Everyone’s got their pros, my boys are working or coming out of college. It felt like real life at that point.”

He admitted that the experience made him more serious about his career:

“I need to find something now, not wait six months or wait a year. It was crunch time… maybe I was a bit delusional, but I just kept going.”

‘I Deserved To Be Released’

Reflecting on Arsenal’s decision to let him go, Eze said:

“I feel like maybe I’m too understanding. People now say I should never have been released, but I think I probably deserved it. I had talent, but others were doing more. It wasn’t that I was a chosen kid—they made the correct decisions at the time.”

Eze’s humility and self-awareness underline the resilience and determination that have carried him back to the top tier of English football.

From Heartbreak To £60m Star

Eze’s journey shows that early setbacks don’t define a career. From youth heartbreak at Arsenal and Millwall to becoming a £60m star returning to north London, his story is a reminder of perseverance, belief, and hard work paying off in the end.