Eberechi Eze interview: Champions League dreams, Arsenal joy and Mikel Arteta's influence
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
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"I've got a long way to go," Arsenal's attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze tells UEFA, with a UEFA Champions League debut only the start of his wish list.
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Released by Arsenal as a 13-year-old, it has taken 14 years for Eberechi Eze to achieve his dream of playing for the team he grew up supporting, but the 27-year-old is not resting on his laurels in his first senior season with the Gunners (and his first in the UEFA Champions League).
The England international found his footing in football with a spell at west London side Queens Park Rangers, then headed south of the River Thames to join Crystal Palace, where he enjoyed a five-year spell before a dramatic move to Arsenal in the summer. A dream come true, maybe, but as the inventive attacker tells UEFA, Eze has much bigger dreams still unfulfilled.
On his long journey to the Arsenal first team
I was just in the middle of just loads of stuff going on, so maybe relief at the start was the first feeling that this actually happened, and it's now an opportunity just to settle down and to get playing and do my stuff.
[It's] something I've wanted from the moment I started playing professional football and playing with professional footballers has always been to play for Arsenal. To get the opportunity, to work as hard as I've worked and to warrant this position is a blessing from God, and I'm grateful for it. I'll give everything because of what it means to be here. Also, it's not just about me; it's bigger than me.
It's special as someone that loves Arsenal, it's special to be here, but I've got a long way to go, man; there's a lot of work to be done, there's a lot of things to achieve, and this is more what I'm focused on. [Just] being happy to be here is not a way to be. That's not part of my make-up.
On his first Champions League campaign
It's another goal that I set out to achieve, and to be playing in it is one thing, and I'm grateful for this. But of course, being in the competition, I'm not just happy to be here; I want to win the competition. That's the mindset of the club, that's the mindset of the team; we want to win every single game that we play.
The first time [I played in the competition], I wasn't too aware that the [Champions League anthem] was even playing, because I was just so focused and ready to play. It was only when I was on the bench for the second game that I actually appreciated the music and the stage of the Champions League. It was special to hear that, special to be a part of, and it's another opportunity to express this gift that I've been given.
On whether he has improved under Mikel Arteta
Yeah, 100%. I've grown so much as a player and in the way that I think, the way I see the game. And his energy allows you to continue pushing, continue wanting to be better, and the environment that's been created is very special.
From the first time I spoke to [Arteta], I knew what type of guy he was. You could see the energy, you could see the enthusiasm and drive to want to be better and to improve and to win, ultimately. And that's infectious. It's good to be part of, and it's something that I wanted. And being part of it, part of growing, improving, is where you want to be.
On what makes this Arsenal team special
The belief and attention to detail that we have is something that I haven't experienced before. There's a full conviction of whatever it is that we do, and that results in good performances. You don't know what the result will be, but you give yourself the best chance, and that's something that I don't think is easy to create.
It comes from the characters that you have in the team, ultimately coming from the manager. You see that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet, and when you have that it can be very powerful.