Eddie Nketiah Opens Up About Release with Rice and Declining Role as Jesus’ Backup
The Gunners forward has discussed the agony of his early career release from Chelsea and why he will not accept being Mikel Arteta’s backup this season.
Eddie Nketiah spoke to football.london about his release from Chelsea and the circumstance surrounding Folarin Balogun at Arsenal.
Eddie Nketiah has become accustomed to proving others incorrect. When Gabriel Jesus was injured during Brazil’s World Cup match against Cameroon, many questioned whether Hale Ender would be able to lead the line and maintain Arsenal’s title aspirations. With five goal contributions in nine starts, he surpassed expectations before his own injury cut short his tenure with the team.
The 24-year-old has been required to silence skeptics since virtually the beginning of his career. At the age of 14, he was released from the Chelsea academy. Even though it was only a temporary setback in his fledgling career, Nketiah confesses that the disappointment he felt was difficult to bear.
“As a 13/14-year-old boy, especially when you’re used to doing something… You go to Chelsea every other day, you’re known as the boy who plays for Chelsea,” he says. “It’s part of your identity.
“Accepting that being gone is hard to take. Luckily for me I have a great family around me who have always supported me, and I think what was really good for me was that the gap was not too long between being released and having an opportunity to go to Arsenal.
“It was probably four or five days, so it allowed me not to stay too down for too long and be able to refocus and know there’s a another challenge which can be even more beautiful. That’s the way I looked at it. I had to have a lot of maturity I did have my down days.
“That’s your dream, to get scouted, you get accepted, grow part of that academy, you want to go all the way. But sometimes this is life. I am a very religious person, I believe in God. I know everything happens for a reason.”
Declan Rice, Nketiah’s prospective teammate at Arsenal, was also released on the same day. It took a decade for the duo to reunite, but Nketiah believes the early setbacks they endured were instrumental in getting them to where they are now in their careers.
“It’s just about knowing this is the path that was chosen for you,” he says. “Unfortunately it wasn’t down this path, but there’s also other routes to the top. There’s players that stayed there (Chelsea) and didn’t reach the levels that myself or Declan have now. This is just life, it isn’t always going to go your way. Having that experience really shaped me as a person and how I am able to deal with disappointments and prove again and again. It’s the mentality I have, it’s how to try to look at life.”
This mentality will be crucial as he attempts to disprove more skeptics during the upcoming season. With Gabriel Jesus firmly established as Arsenal’s number nine and Leandro Trossard having performed admirably in the role at various points last season, Nketiah confronts yet another uphill battle to earn regular playing time. It has led many to believe that the 24-year-old took the easy way out by staying at Arsenal instead of pursuing more consistent playing time elsewhere. However, Nketiah could not be more contrary.
He states, “No, I do not believe I have accepted (being a backup), and I will never accept that.” “That is not how I think. I did not join up to be a second-place finisher. This is my mentality: I want to be the greatest, and I also want to play. I understand that I may not play in every game, and that is the coach’s decision. However, I will never tolerate not playing, and I will always work hard in practice to demonstrate why I believe I should be playing and to give the manager a headache. This should be the mindset of most competitors.
“There’s ways to do it. There is no point sitting around and moaning every day. The manager’s door is always open so you can have conversations but you have to show it on the pitch, there is no point sitting outside the pitch and complaining. You have to show it when you get on the pitch and that is what I tried to do last season. I did the same and that is what I will continue to do.
“I want to play as much as possible so I can help the team. It’s about accepting when you can’t play, how can you help the team and how can you contribute. The way to show it is show it on the pitch rather than make noise off it”
It is fascinating to compare Nketiah’s path with that of his successor. Folarin Balogun has also made the transition from Hale End to Arsenal’s first team via a loan term, but it appears that the American may pursue a different path. football.london has learned that Arsenal will consider proposals of approximately £50 million for Balogun, who Inter Milan and others are interested in acquiring. While Nketiah does not wish to elaborate on the complexities of his younger teammates’ situation, he is willing to admit that he has faith that Balogun will make the correct choice this summer.
He says that he will do what is best for the club and his family in the future. “He is a fine player, and I am confident that whatever decision he makes, as long as he is committed and content, he will succeed. We are pleased to have him here as he contributes to our preseason efforts. He has my sincerest wishes. He is a wonderful person off the field. With any luck, he’ll be able to assist us.”
Nkeitah’s primary concentration is on Arsenal’s success for the time being. The Gunners begin their preseason tour of the United States with a match against the MLS All-Stars on Thursday morning, hoping to generate the kind of early momentum that propelled them to an unexpected title run last season. Having fallen short last season, Nketiah acknowledges that the group’s objective is unmistakably distinct this time around.
“We only want to concentrate on ourselves and grow,” he says. “We view the preseason as an opportunity to develop and grow closer together. We are concentrating on preparation so that we can have a successful season and surpass last year’s performance.
Eddie Nketiah Opens Up About Release with Rice and Declining Role as Jesus’ Backup
