Speaking to the Premier League, Eberechi Eze has opened up on his recovery from injury at Crystal Palace, as well as other topics.
Specifically, the £19.5m man revealed how he reacted when he first met Patrick Vieira in south London.
What’s the story?
When quizzed on Vieira, Eze said: “I don’t tell him this, obviously! The first time I walked in and saw him, I felt something inside me that made me sit up. I was thinking: ‘This isn’t supposed to happen. He’s a human being just like me. I shouldn’t be doing this!’ But there’s a presence about him that is just – I don’t think I’ve had that speaking to anybody.”
Now, you can tell that even Eze himself is surprised at how he reacted to the Frenchman’s arrival at Crystal Palace!
Clearly, Vieira has an aura about him, and is able to immediately gain respect from others without even trying.
Whether his imperious playing career helps in that respect is a mystery, although it’s also down to the type of character he is.
Growing up, Eze – just like Michael Olise, Conor Gallagher and Odsonne Edouard – probably grew up idolising Vieira.
In that respect, there may already have been a form of respect and admiration for their boss before they’d even met.
Ebere Eze could blossom under Patrick Vieira at Crystal Palace
We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to see Eze play under Vieira.
One key feature of Crystal Palace’s style under the Frenchman is Joachim Andersen and Marc Guéhi punching passes through the lines.
With Eze known to pop up in pockets of space between the lines, he will surely get plenty of chances to threaten the opposition in this system.
Additionally, in contrast to last season under Roy Hodgson, Eze will have Odsonne Edouard to aim for, as well as Olise alongside him.
The south Londoners have such an exciting team nowadays, and by the sounds of it, Vieira was a good choice to lead the side.
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