EBERECHI Eze’s international exploits can only be a good thing for Crystal Palace, according to Selhurst Park boss Roy Hodgson.
Eze made his Three Lions debut in the summer against Malta in the summer before going on to collect his second cap against Scotland on Tuesday.
The Greenwich-born attacker was signed by Hodgson from QPR three years ago and the Palace manager, now in his second spell at the club, believes the improvement during that time is fully deserving of England recognition.
Hodgson said: “We are pleased he is doing so well. He did well to deserve his call up and he must have done well enough in the two camps for Gareth to feel he can come on the field of play and help us out.
“In that respect as well, the same would apply for Marc Guehi. I’m very happy for both players.
“He (Eze) is at that interesting stage in his development.
“When he first came to the club, he was regarded even as a precocious talent to an extent who had to come to terms with the fact that playing in the Premier League is more difficult than playing in the Championship.
“But I thought he managed that in the first year when I was here with him, and from then on in the next two seasons he has stepped on.”
The Palace chief added: “If anything, he has moved even further forward in terms of his confidence.
“What he knows now a team really needs from him on the field of play and then being invited to play on an even higher level for your national team is something I hope will be an even greater advantage for him and for us going forward. He is just a bone fide top quality Premiership player now.
“He has got to keep playing at that level and improve in aspects of his game to make certain that when he is in the England squad, Gareth Southgate is going to turn to him and ask him to be an important member of the starting XI.”
Eze and Crystal Palace return to domestic action tomorrow following the international break with a tricky looking away encounter at Aston Villa.
And Hodgson is in no doubt what sort of test his side will face in the West Midlands against Unai Emery’s side.
“A severe one,” the Palace manager said.
“They are good. They were good last season, finished seventh and got into the European competitions for the first time in a long while.
“That is a great achievement.
“They’ve started this season well also and strengthened their team with two or three really important signings, which has made them even stronger than last year.
“Like so many Premiership teams we meet, they are there not only to be respected but feared because of what they are capable of doing.
“One has to prepare one’s own team as best as one can to make certain that nothing they do is going to catch us completely by surprise.
“But we’ve still got to deal with the quality of their players.”
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