Eberechi Eze has insisted he would take a penalty for England in a World Cup shootout, despite the agony of his miss in Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest last month. “If called upon, for sure. Why wouldn’t I take it?” he said.
The attacking midfielder sent his spot-kick wide as Arsenal lost on penalties to PSG, adding to a list of softly-struck penalties saved for Crystal Palace against Liverpool and Newcastle last year. But Eze dismissed any suggestion that he should abandon his stuttering run-up. “No, I think I have taken penalties for a long time and it’s part of the journey,” he said. “You have to continue to improve, find new ways to improve. I’m not going to stress too much about it because I know I’m in this position for a reason and all the training behind it.”
“Eberechi Eze says he will take a World Cup penalty for England despite his Champions League final shootout miss.”
Eze’s confidence comes as England prepare to open their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Group L on Wednesday. Former head coach Gareth Southgate, who stepped down after losing the Euro 2024 final to Spain, posted a video on Instagram wishing Thomas Tuchel’s side well. “I just wanted to take a moment to say good luck to all the boys,” Southgate said. “I know all the big knockout nights that we've had mean they're going to be full of confidence going into this tournament. They've overcome so many hurdles to winning penalty shootouts, semi-finals.”
For Eze, the disappointment of Budapest has not dented his desire to take responsibility. “Football is full of everything and you have to try to accept everything as it is, to enjoy it as much as you can,” he said. “Playing in a Champions League final is where I want to be, it’s what I want to do. We’ll go for it again next season and if there is a penalty to take then I’ll be there again. All the big players have missed big penalties, have experienced these type of moments. I’ve had messages from everyone to speak on those moments. For me it’s not something I wish never happened. I’m grateful it happened. I’m going to grow from it, learn from it and move forward.”
England and Scotland will both compete in a men’s World Cup this month for the first time this century. Scotland flew to Florida on Sunday for their pre-tournament camp, while England departed on Monday. The buildup has been overshadowed by controversy over ticket prices, but for those able to attend, the wait is almost over. Eze, for one, is ready if called upon.