Eberechi Eze says he was not worried about missing out on a move to Arsenal in a summer transfer window, in which he appeared close to joining rivals Tottenham Hotspur instead, and admits his Emirates Stadium introduction was a “special” moment for him and his family.
Spurs appeared to have a clear run at Eze while Arsenal focused on landing striker Viktor Gyökeres but, after failing to close a deal, left the door open to the Gunners to reignite a move which was born earlier in the summer.
Eze, a boyhood Arsenal fan who spent time in the club’s academy, quickly decided to take the Gunners up on their offer and was being presented on the pitch just days later.
Arsenal held a meeting with Eze months ago in which the basic framework of a move to the club was agreed, but things went quiet for months as it appeared they would not advance their interest. But the 27-year-old has claimed he never had any concerns about his next move.
“Worried? No. Because I play football,” he said. “That’s what I do and wherever I am, I want to be the best I can be and I’m confident I’ll do that wherever I am.
“I’m grateful that it’s Arsenal and that I’ve got the opportunity to play there and do what I do and I’m looking forward to it. There’s a lot going on, it’s fun for me. This is why I play football. These are opportunities that you want. This is for me so I am enjoying it as much as I can. And do what I can.”
Just four days separated news of Arsenal’s bid and Eze’s presentation on the pitch—a whirlwind few days which will live long in his memory.
“I was trying to [take it all in] because as you know, you have that moment and then that it’s gone,” he continued.“I was just there, looking at the crowd and watching everything happen and it was a cool moment—more for my family, seeing what it meant to them. I think that’s the special thing for me.
“For me, now, I’m just excited to play, excited to do my thing on the pitch, to work hard, apply myself and get to doing what I do. There’s been a lot of noise off the pitch but I just want to get down and play.
“And it’s not everyone that gets to experience these types of moments but yeah, I try to enjoy it and take it in my stride as much as possible because there’s always something that is coming. There is always another opportunity and challenge coming so that’s how I see it.”
READ THE LATEST ARSENAL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Lot of Noise’—Eberechi Eze Reveals Impact of Dramatic Arsenal Transfer.