...By Joseph Benjamin for TDPel Media.
London, United Kingdom – Nigerian-born English footballer Eberechi Eze has received a call-up to the England squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers scheduled against Malta and North Macedonia in June.
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder, who has been in exceptional form for Crystal Palace throughout the 2022-2023 season, has previously represented England’s Under-20 and Under-21 teams but has yet to make an appearance for the senior national team.
Eze, born to Nigerian parents in England, remains eligible to play for Nigeria until he participates in a competitive match for the Three Lions.
However, if he features against Malta or North Macedonia in June, he will no longer be eligible to represent Nigeria.
It should be noted that England coach Gareth Southgate initially called up Eberechi Eze for the 2021 European Championship.
Unfortunately, a knee injury prevented him from joining the squad.
Eze suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a training session with Crystal Palace on the same day his call-up to the national team was announced two years ago.
This represents a second opportunity for Eberechi Eze, who has scored 10 goals and provided four assists in 39 games across all competitions this season, to make his breakthrough into the England squad.
Southgate expressed his admiration for Eze, stating, “We’ve liked him for a long time; he was unfortunate before the Euros.
We were going to call him in for a prep camp, and he got an unfortunate injury.
He has finished the season really strongly. He can play in a couple of positions across the attacking line.
Everyone I speak to talks brilliantly about him as a person.”
Here is the complete England squad for the upcoming international break in June:
Goalkeepers:
Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders:
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders:
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Maddison (Leicester), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham)
Forwards:
Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Callum Wilson (Newcastle).
