Is Eberechi Eze Nigerian? Birth place and international career of Crystal Palace and England star

Joe Wright

Is Eberechi Eze Nigerian? Birth place and international career of Crystal Palace and England star image

Eberechi Eze has developed into one of the Premier League's most exciting midfielders at Crystal Palace over the past couple of years.

The player's performances for the Eagles have seen him linked with a transfer to several clubs including Manchester United and Tottenham, yet he remains at Selhurst Park, where he is a key figure under manager Oliver Glasner.

Eze's performances in 2023/24 saw him earn a place at Euro 2024, where he featured during England's run to the final in Germany.

However, for a long time, his international career looked uncertain. Eze was eligible to represent England or Nigeria and admitted he spent time deliberating over his allegiance.

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Is Eberechi Eze Nigerian?

Eze was born in Greenwich in London, England and is a full England international. However, having been born to Nigerian parents, he was previously eligible to play for the Super Eagles.

Having represented the country of his birth at Under-20 and Under-21 levels, the midfielder accepted an international call-up to the England squad in June 2023 for Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Malta and North Macedonia. That was despite Amaju Pinnick, the former president of Nigeria's football federation, stating previously that he was "confident" Eze would choose to play for the African nation.

Eze himself admitted he had agonised over the decision before committing to England. Speaking about his decision in June 2023, Eze said: "[It was] more just speaking to the people around me, my family, my wife, getting good advice from the people around, trying to think what is the best decision for myself and my career.

"We think that this is the best one. It is a big opportunity for me, it is the highest level of football. I look at it with no regret at all."

Eze made his debut for England as a substitute in the 4-0 win over Malta, which ended the possibility of playing for Nigeria: under FIFA rules, players cannot switch international allegiance once they have played in a competitive fixture (i.e. not a friendly match).

Eberechi Eze international career

Eze played for England's Under-20 and Under-21 teams and played at the European Under-21 Championship in Slovenia in 2021.

In May that year, he earned a first call-up to the senior England squad as part of then-coach Gareth Southgate's provisional group for the Euro 2020 finals. However, he was injured in a training session and could not take part in the warm-up camp.

Eze finally made his England debut against Malta in June 2023. As this was a competitive game, it means he cannot now play for Nigeria.

The Palace star was part of the Three Lions squad at Euro 2024, where they reached the final for the second consecutive tournament and lost 2-1 to Spain. Eze made three appearances in Germany, all as a substitute.

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Joe Wright

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Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has reported live on some of the biggest games in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup final at the end of a month in Russia.