Wayne Rooney backs Arsenal signing to become ‘great player’ after mixed start

Wayne Rooney has encouraged Arsenal fans to be patient with Eberechi Eze, backing the midfielder to go on and become a ‘great player’ for the club in ‘the next year or two’.

Having been released by Arsenal’s academy as a youngster, Eze returned to north London to great fanfare after securing a £67.5m transfer move from Crystal Palace.

The Gunners saw off strong competition from Tottenham to get their man last summer and there have been weighty expectations on Eze’s shoulders to live up to his hefty price tag.

Arsenal fans have been treated to flashes of Eze’s undoubted quality in his opening half-a-season at the Emirates, most notably when he completed a stunning hat-trick in Arsenal’s derby day victory over Spurs in November.

But questions have been asked of Eze’s level of consistency in recent weeks and the return to form of club captain Martin Odegaard means the England international has largely had to settle for substitute appearances.

‘It depends on the game, depends on the type of opponent that we see and then performances,’ Mikel Arteta told reporters when asked why Eze’s recent playing time had been so limited on Monday.

‘Throughout the game, we see things we can do, how we can help the position more, and we have the ability to change that.’

Arteta started Eze in the Champions League against Inter Milan this evening, with the Gunners extending their perfect start in Europe thanks to a 3-1 victory over last year’s runners-up.

Having been named as a substitute in Arsenal’s last six league games, Eze put in a lively display at the San Siro and perhaps should have scored with a strike from the edge of the box in the 50th minute.

However, the night belonged to Gabriel Jesus, who struck either side of Petar Sucic’s thunderous 18th-minute effort, before Viktor Gyokeres added a third to secure the Gunners a spot in the last 16.

‘People don’t realise how difficult it is, him moving from Crystal Palace to Arsenal,’ Rooney said of Eze on Amazon Prime’s Champions League coverage ahead of kick-off.

‘To have that consistency of winning every week, it’s a big difference to what he’s been used to and that can be really difficult mentally.’

The former Manchester United and England forward added: ‘This season, he has to try and obviously get back into the team because he’s a fantastic player and he is trying to go to the World Cup as well.

‘But I think it will be over the next year or two that we’re going to see him cement his place in the team and then obviously become a great player for Arsenal.’

Theo Walcott, providing punditry for Amazon Prime alongside Rooney, suggested Eze’s start with Arsenal had been hampered by Odegaard’s recent return to form.

According to the former Arsenal speedster, Eze needs to start ‘believing he can be the main man’ and make himself a ‘game-changer’ in big moments.

‘I think Eze’s problem is how well Odegaard has done since he’s come back,’ Walcott said.

‘Odegaard, for me, had to raise his levels from last year and he has because of this man [Eze] coming to this football club.

‘Eze is probably more of a confidence player I’d say. However, I think he’s played a lot of football up until this point, I really do.

‘I still feel like there will be big moments for him to that game-changer that Arteta speaks about.

‘I just feel like I need that little bit more from him and there’s more gears he can go up.

‘At times, I feel like he’s playing within himself and he just needs that freedom, being the main man.

‘He needs to believe that he can be the main man at this football club because there’s plenty of energy in there.’

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