Crystal Palace midfielder Ebere Eze admits being rejected by Arsenal was tough to take.
Eze was dumped by the Gunners as a junior.
He recalled to Palace's website: It wasn't easy.
I signed [for Arsenal] when I was eight or nine, and got released at 13. That was probably the hardest release because that was all I knew at the time.
A big thing people probably don't understand is that at that age that's part of your identity. It's like: 'I'm Ebere who plays for Arsenal,' and anywhere you go that's how you referred to.
"That's how you're spoken about. So the moment you get released it's like okay that's a big part of me that's just left."