Eberechi Eze: The Relentless Journey of Rejection, Faith, and Triumph
From South London cages to England’s national team—how Eze overcame multiple setbacks to achieve footballing success through faith and perseverance.
There’s something about South London that breeds footballers with flair. Maybe it’s the tight urban spaces that demand close control, the caged pitches that turn skill into survival, or the relentless ambition of kids who know that football could be their path to bigger things.
Eberechi Eze is one of those players—great with the ball at his feet, now lighting up the Premier League and wearing the Three Lions on his chest. But before the bright lights of English football’s top flight, there were years of rejection and disappointment. I learned about his back story and thought it was a great lesson to share with your young ballers.
Growing up in Greenwich, Eze played wherever he could—on the estate, in the cages, even at the back of an HSS Hire shop, dodging barbed wire and reclaiming punctured balls. Football wasn’t just a pastime; it was identity, a source of belonging in a world that didn’t always offer guarantees.
He was a boy with big dreams, and for a while, it looked like those dreams were on track. At nine years old, he joined Arsenal’s academy, the ultimate validation that his talent was special. But football is rarely a straight road.
At thirteen, Arsenal let him go. The club that had shaped his early years, the badge he had worn with pride—gone.
“It was tough to take,” Eze admitted years later. “At that age, that was all I knew. It was my identity.”
Rejection at that stage can break a young player. The statistics are brutal—countless hopefuls enter academies, but only a fraction ever make it professionally. Many disappear from the game entirely, either unable to process the rejection or lacking the right support system to push forward.
But Eze had two things in his corner: family and faith. His parents provided the kind of stability and belief that kept him moving. His faith in God, instilled from a young age, gave him a deeper perspective on the setbacks.
Instead of giving up, Eze went on trial at Southend and Fulham, eventually signing with the latter. It was there that he met Dan Thomas and Kevin Betsy, two coaches who not only saw his potential but actively worked to restore his belief in himself.
“They helped me grow, not just as a player but as a person,” Eze recalled.
But the game wasn’t done testing him. After two and a half years, Fulham released him. Another setback.
Reading came next, another trial, another rejection. Then Millwall, where he secured a scholarship but, once again, was let go at the end of it. By now, many would have walked away, convinced that the dream wasn’t meant to be. Eze, however, kept showing up. He trained, worked on his weaknesses, and refused to let the game define his worth.
That resilience finally paid off when QPR took a chance on him. Under the guidance of Chris Ramsey, Andy Impey, and Paul Hall, Eze began to understand what was missing from his game. Talent wasn’t enough; he had to apply himself differently and think about football in a more disciplined way. It was a crucial turning point—an awakening that transformed him from a promising player into a professional in the making.
At QPR, Eze flourished. He played with the freedom of the kid in the cage, but with a maturity that had been hard-earned. A loan spell at Wycombe under Gareth Ainsworth further solidified his confidence. The rough-and-tumble of the lower leagues sharpened his edges, and when he returned to QPR, he was ready. By the time Crystal Palace signed him, it felt like destiny.
Then, another cruel twist. In 2021, just as he received his first England call-up, he ruptured his Achilles in training. An injury of that magnitude can derail careers, but Eze’s response was typical of his character.
“For some reason, I wasn’t meant to get called up at that time,” he reflected.
Instead of drowning in frustration, he trusted the process, leaned on his faith, and came back stronger.
Now, Eze is exactly where he was always meant to be. A Premier League star, an England international, and a symbol of perseverance. His story isn’t just about talent; it’s about resilience, faith, and the people who believed in him when others didn’t. He carries the scars of rejection, but they don’t weigh him down. If anything, they remind him how far he’s come.
Looking at the journey, Eze doesn’t hold grudges.
“I don’t look back and say, ‘Oh, they shouldn’t have released me,’” he says. “At the time, it probably made sense”.
For every young footballer chasing the dream, Eze’s story is a blueprint. Rejection isn’t the end, it’s part of the process and just another chapter in the journey. What matters is how you respond, who you surround yourself with, and whether you keep believing. As long as you do, anything is possible.
Thanks for reading, David Skilling.
Follow me on LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Bluesky
If you know someone who’ll enjoy this article, please share it with them.