Roy Hodgson is the reason I got England call, says Three Lions new boy Eberechi Eze
‘He has insane wisdom’: Eberechi Eze says he has Roy Hodgson to thank for his call-up to England following Crystal Palace star’s brilliant end to season
- Eze received his first call-up for England this month for the European qualifiers
- He has worked under Hodgson twice and played his best football for the veteran
- The midfielder now wants to make his international debut on Friday
Crystal Palace striker Eberechi Eze believes Roy Hodgson’s “insane wisdom” played a key role in his participation in the England squad.
Two years after being cruelly stripped of his first international call-up due to an Achilles tendon injury, Eze has joined England following his breakthrough and hopes to make his debut against Malta on Friday.
Gareth Southgate had originally called up Eze to be part of his provisional squad for the postponed 2021 European Championships – the striker famously received confirmation of his inclusion just minutes after suffering his bizarre injury in training.
An international call-up looked unlikely earlier this year when he lost his place in the Palace squad under Patrick Vieira.
But the Frenchman’s sacking and the subsequent return of Hodgson, who originally signed Eze for Palace in 2020, rejuvenated the striker, ultimately resulting in his England call-up.
Eberechi Eze has credited Roy Hodgson’s ‘insane wisdom’ as a key factor in his England call-up
Hodgson’s (right) return to Crystal Palace helped rejuvenate Eze’s (left) form this season
He is now pushing to make his England debut in their European Championship qualifiers
‘He [Hodgson] was very helpful and advised me all the time. He’s got insane wisdom, so it’s good to hear what he has to say,’ Eze said.
“I am very grateful to Roy and Ray [Lewington] for all they did to get me back in shape, they helped me tremendously with performances and my mental state.
“Seeing him everywhere on a daily basis and how he talks to each individual player has helped me a lot.
“The influence he had on the players, the mentality, the confidence, the freedom – it was something we hadn’t experienced in a while, so I’m extremely grateful.”
Gareth Southgate selected Eze for his Euro 2020 provisional squad two years ago, but the Crystal Palace star pulled out after suffering a bizarre training injury.