Keane accuses Eze of shying away from competition at England and Arsenal

Roy Keane delivered a pointed assessment of Eberechi Eze ahead of England’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Czechia at Wembley on Tuesday, warning the Arsenal forward that he needed to raise his game or risk being left behind at both club and international level.

Keane’s criticism was sparked by Eze’s cameo in England’s 7-0 win over Croatia, where the 28-year-old replaced Anthony Gordon in the 70th minute. Speaking on ITV before kick-off against Czechia, the former Manchester United captain said he was “disappointed” with what he saw. “I thought he was really sloppy with some of his play, so it’s a big opportunity for him tonight,” Keane said.

Eze went on to start the Czechia match and played the full 90 minutes of a 3-0 England victory — only the second time in his 25 caps that he has not been substituted on or off. Both complete appearances have come under Thomas Tuchel, who has handed Eze five of his six starts since taking charge of England 18 months ago.

Keane pressed further on the mental side of Eze’s game, questioning whether the player was fully engaging with the competitive pressure around him. “I just worry sometimes players are going: ‘Oh, it’s not my time, or he’s better than me’,” Keane said. “Embrace that challenge that the other players have brought to the England squad and at Arsenal. He seems just to shy away from it.”

The pundit also extended his concern beyond the international stage, pointing to Eze’s performances for Arsenal. “When you look at the attacking players and the challenges, and I’m including Arsenal, sometimes in his play he can just be a bit sloppy. He needs to bring his A-game.”

ITV colleague Ian Wright offered a more sympathetic reading of the player’s style, arguing that Eze’s languid approach can make lapses look worse than they are. “He’s got a playing style where if you’re sloppy and you’re playing with that languid kind of style, then it can look worse than it is,” Wright said. “I’m not saying he should change his style. But he just needs to tighten everything up a bit because he’s an amazing player.”