Eberechi Eze opens up on World Cup dreams and fulfilling his potential at Crystal Palace

Eberechi Eze is finally becoming a fan favourite at Crystal Palace, he’s scored for the first time in back-to-back Premier League home games and there are growing talks about him gate-crashing the World Cup.

There is always an air of expectations when he gets on the ball at Selhurst Park, and he’s one who has definitely got every skill to be one of the greatest to have graced the pitch at Crystal Palace.

At the Palace training ground, there is a feeling that he could be better at keeping the ball, although this the price paid for his edge of the seat skill. Eze himself says he just wants to keep improving and enjoying his game.

He told LondonWorld.com: “I’m happy to be helping the team. We’re working well together. We’re creating chances and defending well. I’m happy to be playing my part.

“At times. I think with the ability in this team, you know that you’re going to create chances, so you’re always thinking about getting on the end of stuff and thinking about the right passes and how to score and assist yourself.”

His manager Patrick Vieira enjoyed his first year at Palace and the ability to fit so many attacking talents into the Palace team has been rewarded also with some of his players getting called up to the England team.

Conor Gallagher, now back at Chelsea, centre-back Marc Guehi and left back Tyrick Mitchell all got England caps last season based on their electric form in south London.

This season it’s Eze who is making a late push into Gareth Southgate’s thinking. His finish against Leeds United had the style and finesse that is rarely seen with English players and his manager Vieira says he could be the surprise element of the England team in Qatar. But the midfielder says he is not losing sleep over that and just keeping his eyes on the ball.

He added: “If I’m honest, I’m not even thinking about it. I just want to play my football here and enjoy getting better and enjoy improving and being as effective as I can be for Crystal Palace.”

The Eagles now have a chance to kick on after coming from a goal down to win all three games this season. They travel to Everton this weekend before winnable games against Southampton and West Ham United. The calls for Eze to join the plane to Qatar will increase if he can continue to find the back of the net in the coming days.