Eberechi Eze has reflected on shedding tears in his room 'for a solid week' after being let go by Arsenal back in 2011.
Now, at the age of 25, he is regularly setting Selhurst Park alight and conjured up a remarkable tally of eleven goals and four assists this season for Crystal Palace. Eze has certainly experienced the ups and downs football has to offer, but his talent is flourishing now at the south London club following a fruitful four-year spell at QPR.
However, he kindled fears about the end of his career before it had even begun when Arsenal released him at 13 years old. A product of Arsenal's youth academy since 2006, Greenwich-born Eze honed his skills for half a decade before facing that heart-wrenching moment of parting ways with the club.
Sharing his soul-crushing experience with The Independent in 2020, he recalled: "I was 13 [when I was released]. That was the worst one. I remember crying in my room for a solid week, my mum telling me that it’s going to be OK but not being able to get over it. Then I went to Fulham and I was finally starting to enjoy my football again. We played Arsenal a few months later but, when I went over to shake the academy manager’s hand, I started welling up. All the feelings came back."
However, Eze, who's currently part of the England camp trying to gain a place in Gareth Southgate's final squad for Euro 2024, was undeterred in his ambition to become a professional footballer. He stated on the Rising Ballers YouTube channel that if it wasn't with the Gunners, he would find an opportunity elsewhere.
He disclosed (via Football London): "My dream was to play for them so hearing them say no at 13 that was tough and I remember like training after I got released and I couldn't focus.
"I was crying but I think that helped me so much in the other rejections because if I can get through Arsenal releasing me I can get through any other club releasing me. My mindset was if it was not going to be Arsenal I have to find somewhere else."
After being let go by Arsenal, Fulham quickly picked up Eze, only for him to switch sides to Reading in 2014. Four months later, he joined Millwall's youth academy.
Then, Queens Park Rangers signed the young talent in 2016, and Eze would make his first senior appearance in January 2017. A loan transfer to Wycombe Wanderers later that year proved fruitful - he nabbed five goals from 20 appearances, before Crystal Palace secured him in 2020 for £19.5million.
There are more talents feeling the sting of rejection currently, as the Gunners announced that Mohamed Elneny and Cedric Soares are among 19 players due to be let go at the end of this month. The Egyptian midfielder and Portuguese full back are set to leave the Emirates Stadium on June 30, and they'll be free to join a new team without a transfer fee.