Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has enjoyed an incredible rise to the top, moving from academy rejections to a Premier League and England ace.
The 25-year-old moved to Selhurst Park in 2020 from QPR – where he had his initial breakthrough after being released by the Arsenal and Fulham academies.
Eze has continued to grow since his switch to Crystal Palace, becoming a regular at Premier League level and then a superstar.
The end of last season under Oliver Glasner helped the winger chip in with more goal involvements, bagging 11 goals and four assists with a new and attacking style of play under the Crystal Palace boss.
That sparkling form led to Gareth Southgate handing Eze a call-up to the England squad for Euro 2024, beating competition from Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford in those forward ranks.
While his impressive performances are finally being recognised at the top level, one hobby in particular has appeared to play a large role in his rise to the top.
Eberechi Eze explains cage football impact
Speaking in an interview with BBC 5 Live, Eze spoke about how his childhood hobby of cage football shaped the player he is today.
“It’s a big thing for young players growing up,” the Palace star explained. “Especially in London, you know, that’s sort of your first bit of education.
“Learning to play with older players and [it’s] where you sort of start to hone your skills.
“I’m probably the type of player that still uses some of the stuff I’ve learned from there and it sort of became the way I play.
“So I probably owe quite a bit to cage football.”
When asked for an example of that in practice, the winger added: “Just the creativity of being able to get out of tight situations, difficult situations and being free in your mind just to express yourself and to enjoy.
“I think that’s probably the most important thing as much as there’s so much pressure and it’s quite intense, intense environment.
“Being able to enjoy yourself, express yourself, be yourself on the pitch.”
What is cage football?
Cage football, as the name implies, is a game of football that is played with a metal cage surrounding the entire pitch.
These pitches are often either astroturf or concrete, making for a harsher and tighter environment to an open field.
As a result, matches are often played at a higher tempo, with the use of the sides of the cage able to keep the ball in play and moving.
Quickness of body and mind is key to finding space where it is limited, forcing creativity to survive in such an environment.
It can introduce players into a physically demanding version of the game, which is reliant on constant one-on-one attacking and defending.
With green spaces to play football becoming increasingly rare across the country, cage football has seen an increase in popularity as a small space can turn into a field of play.
Famous footballers who have played cage football
A whole host of England stars have also revealed their background in cage football from when they were growing up.
Declan Rice, for example, told Alex Scott in an interview with the Sun in 2019 that he would visit his local cage in Kingston, South-West London, as a child.
“This is a special place and it was also my second home from the earliest days that I can remember,” the Arsenal star said.
“I’d run home from school, change into my football stuff and come over here. That was my life until I moved away to West Ham.
“On Saturdays, my mum would drop me off here at ten and then pick me up at six. It was literally my life. This is what I enjoyed the most.”
Many more players have also played cage football who have been in the England setup, with Eddie Nketiah, Joe Gomez and Ezri Konsa all getting involved from a young age.
Former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha has discussed the importance of having these spaces for players to develop.
There are, no doubt, many others who have also played cage football, which will have impacted their professional careers to date.
However, in a time where accessibility to football is being questioned, it displays the importance of having these spaces for youngsters to simply play and express themselves.
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