It was the journey back from the despair caused by a ruptured Achilles that ended any chance of making it to the end. England’s Euro 2020 squad has been a steady, rather than spectacular one for Eberechi Eze.
His return to life brought a spark back into his life, but it was not what he expected. Conor Gallagher’s impressive form for Crystal Palace. But he has emerged from Gallagher’s shadow and is beginning to demonstrate why manager Patrick Vieira has such belief in his ability.
That belief led Vieira to suggest, when asked, that the 24-year-old might make a late run into Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad. “I always believe that when you’re building a group for a World Cup, you always have one or two surprises, and he can be one of them,” he said.
A goal and a major role in the winner during Palace’s 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers will only make those calls louder.
Eze has improved as the season progresses. Eze’s performances are improving and his influence is growing. Relying on him as a No8 does not place emphasis on his strengths but rather on the weaker areas of his game.
He is a ball carrier and can glide past players with an almost effortless drop to the shoulder. Vieira will continue to struggle with this problem until Palace resolves their No 8 problem.
He was quiet against Wolves for periods, particularly in the first half when Palace struggled to make headway when they reached the final third, and he was muted in Saturday’s goalless draw with Leicester.
