Eddie Nketiah Story: Chelsea’s Rejection was my Opportunity
Eddie Nketiah Story: Chelsea’s Rejection was my Opportunity
Eddie Nketiah is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Arsenal FC, and the England national under-21 team. He started his football career at the age of nine when he joined the Chelsea FC academy and later Arsenal FC Academy. Although Nketiah was born in England, his parents are from Ghana. Thus, he shares the Ghanaian ancestry and is eligible to play for Ghana at an international level. His mother had appeared with him on several occasions before, including when he signed his professional contract with Arsenal FC.
Nketiah is known for his pace, movement and finishing ability, his style has been compared to former Arsenal striker Ian Wright. In August 2019 he described Wright as his “mentor”.
His playing style was also compared to Jermain Defoe, due to his movement to play off the last defender’s shoulder and his sharp shooting ability from all angles. Nketiah can play as a striker or as a wide forward, with Nketiah describing his own playing style as ‘I’m a striker, I’m brave, I like to put myself in the places where the chances are going to fall’.
He has been playing professional football for a couple of years now. He recently got his contract upgraded, his net worth at this moment is about $1.2 Million. His market value is at this moment about $9.57 million.
Early life of Eddie Nketiah
Eddie Nketiah (30th May 1999 ) was born in Lewisham, London, England. His father is Eddie Nketiah Snr, he has two older sisters, and the youngest in his family. He used to play football on the streets of Lewisham since at the age of nine (9) before the local team spotted him and allowed him to play for them. Nketiah had played for a south-east London Sunday team called Hillyfielders. While he was playing locally in 2008, Chelsea FC scouted him and picked him up to join its academy. Chelsea FC had spotted him after scoring many goals in a local tournament. But what impressed them the most was his speed and ability to score goal.
Eddie Nketiah grew up learning how to play football. He had the talent and the passion for football game, and that makes him worked with two of the most influential football academies in England.
The young footballer is British by birth. However, his parents are not from England. They are Ghanaians. Which means Eddie Nketiah origin is Ghana, where he gets his ancestry, and he has been proud of his father and mother for allowing him to pursue his dream of playing football. Throughout his childhood, he studied football at the Chelsea FC academy. Eddie Nketiah Chelsea stint lasted seven years. In 2015, the London club released him because he was small and not tall enough. But his exit was not a disappointing one since Arsenal FC called him up and signed him to join its academy. He played for Arsenal FC at a youth level and had an outstanding first season.
During the 2016/2017 season, he played for the team’s Under-18s and Under-23s. He scored 15 goals in 16 appearances for the under-18s and 12 goals in 26 appearances for the under-23s. It was that impressive performance that forced the Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, to call him up for the senior side’s pre-season tour in China and Australia.
After scoring 24 goals in consecutive seasons while playing for Arsenal FC at a youth level, Eddie Nketiah made his mark for the senior team in the 2017/2018 season. He scored a brace as Arsenal overcame Norwich City at home in the Carabao Cup. Eddie Nketiah joined Leeds United on 8 August 2019, on a season-long loan for the entire 2019/2020 season. His debut for Leeds United came on 13 August 2019 against Salford City in an EFL Cup match. He scored the first goal of the game and helped his team win 3-0. Nketiah did not play the whole season for Leeds United. Arsenal recalled him on 1 January 2020 and he has received more than $3.2 million from Arsenal FC.
Problem Faced By Eddie Nketiah
Edward Keddar Nketiah was privilegeto be scouted and picked up by Chelsea FC to join its academy. Chelsea FC had spotted him after scoring many goals in a local tournament, which he attracted them due to his speed and ability to score goal. This reason made him not to enjoy life much at his teenage age, but rather experience some critics before being fully signed to a club:
He was rejected by Chelsea
However, after Eddie was been trained by Chelsea, they later released him from the Under-14s because they felt he did not have the physical characteristics a striker should have and so they had to let him go after being with them from 2008 till 2015. But his exit was not a disappointing one, since Arsenal FC called him up and signed him to join its academy. He played for Arsenal FC at a youth level and had an outstanding first season, and the rest as they say is history.
Lesson Learned From Edward Keddar Nketiah
Do what you love
The most amazing thing in life is doing what you have passion for. When Eddie was growing as a kid, he has passion for football that he plays football on the streets of Lewisham since at the age of nine (9) before the local team spotted him and allowed him to play for them.
Determination
Been determine is one of the key success in life. When Eddie was playing locally in 2008, Chelsea FC was impressed and they picked him up to join their academy due to his speed and ability to score goals.
Consider every disappointment as a blessing
Chelsea, who scouted Eddie playing for Hillyfielders in 2008 and was impressed to pick him up to their academy but yet, in 2015, when he had turned 16 and was eligible for a professional contract, Chelsea decided to let him go because they considered him too small.
It happens that Bob Arber, the head of Arsenal’s youth recruitment at that time, asked Joe Willock about him. Willock’s response was frank: Eddie Nketiah was invited for a trial. He scored in a game against West Ham, and that was enough to convince Arsenal to sign him. Arsenal put him on a professional contract in September 2016. In footballing terms, he said and I quote “I am not a small boy; I achieved the contract through hard work and continuous self-improvement. As a professional, I’m determined to keep advancing because it takes me a step closer to the first team and I know how high the standards are.”
