Arsenal’s new signing Eberechi Eze has explained exactly why a Manchester United legend is his England hero during an interview.
Manchester United secured four major signings this summer, with Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško arriving at the club.
The overall spending at Old Trafford came to around £230 million, with four Premier League clubs spending more on transfers than the Reds during this window.
Arsenal were one of those teams, with Mikel Arteta’s side splashing over £260 million on seven new players as they look to finally try and win the league title once again.
United striker target Viktor Gyokeres was one of those additions, while the late addition of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace for around £67 million was another standout signing for the Gunners.
Eze explains why United legend is his England hero
Eze, 27, was released by Arsenal’s academy when he was a youngster and he has supported the North London club for his entire life.
But the 2025 FA Cup winner looked towards rivals United when considering his England hero in a recent interview with the Three Lions media team.
Eze was asked a number of questions during an England camp and one of them was who his England hero was growing up. “[Wayne] Rooney,” he responded.
Explaining his answer, Arsenal’s new star said: “Just the guy, man. Everyone looked to him to solve the problems and to create something, to be that guy for the team.
“So, as a number ten, he is a special player for me.”
Rooney received 120 international caps for the England national team and netted 53 goals, which was the most in history until Harry Kane overtook the record in 2023.
Eze, meanwhile, has earned 11 caps and played for Gareth Southgate’s side during Euro 2024, which saw them lose in the final to Spain.
Mavericks are crucial in football
Eze is considered as one of the few ‘mavericks’ playing at the top level right now and Rooney was one of the best mavericks there ever was, which makes the Arsenal star’s choice more than understandable.
Cunha at Old Trafford is another, and one who is already starting to excite United fans with his style of play.
READ MORE: Man Utd striker Benjamin Šeško reveals two biggest differences between Bundesliga and Premier League
With football being such a structured sport right now, these types of talents are in high demand as they can break a structure with their skillset. That is exactly why Arsenal have signed Eze, and why United brought in Cunha.
While both are brilliant players, they simply aren’t on the same level as Rooney was, and there is no shame in that whatsoever.
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