Eberechi Eze deserves to go to Euro 2024 now UEFA have expanded Gareth Southgate’s squad to 26 players, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner believes.
In 2019, Eze met with Nigerian FA president Amaju Pinnick, who tried to convince him to represent the Super Eagles through his ancestry, but he continued to represent England at youth level and earned the first of his two senior caps in June last year.
The 25-year-old has scored eight goals and registered five assists in 27 matches during an injury-disrupted season for Palace and is in the mix as Southgate considers his selections for the European Championships.
Southgate is set to be able to name 26 players for the tournament in Germany after UEFA delegates voted on Monday to increase the squad size from an initial 23.
Glasner said of Eze: “He would deserve being nominated for the Euros.
“It’s Gareth Southgate’s decision, [but] I know Ebs. I see all his qualities — how hard he works in training and how he listens to our support when we tell him that he can maybe improve positionally or with the defending.
“I believe he deserves it, but I don’t know every other player who plays in the same position.”
Glasner continued: “When you nominate 26 players, it’s not so good to nominate 26 offensive players. Maybe they all deserve it because they are fantastic players, but you need a balance in the team. Gareth Southgate will nominate the best one.”
Meanwhile, Palace are set to be without Rob Holding for Wednesday’s match against Newcastle and against Fulham this Saturday after he suffered a fresh hamstring injury.
It comes after the ex-Arsenal man enjoyed just one week of full training with Palace after recovering from ankle surgery that saw him miss 19 matches in a row.
Glasner has admitted he introduced Holding back into the fray too soon.
“It was my mistake to nominate him for the squad [against West Ham] after one week training with the team,” the Austrian said. “It was too early.”
