Eddie Nketiah

Eddie Nketiah

Eddie Nketiah gained a reputation as a prolific goalscorer at youth level for Arsenal. But after seven seasons in North London, and with limited first-team opportunities, he joined Crystal Palace.

Eddie Nketiah is a striker for Crystal Palace in the Premier League, he has also featured for England at international level.

His early career was spent at Chelsea, before becoming a prolific goalscorer at youth level with Arsenal.

He was sent on loan to Leeds during the 2019/20 season and helped them gain promotion from the Championship. He returned to Arsenal during the same season and picked up an FA Cup winners' medal.

Nketiah garnered a lot more playing time at Arsenal over the next four seasons, but he was never really considered a first-choice striker.

In August 2024, Nketiah joined Crystal Palace for a reported £30m fee on a five-year deal. He had scored 38 goals in 168 games for the Gunners, but his first-team opportunities in north London were set to be limited in the 2024/25 season.

At international level, Nketiah made his debut for England in 2023 against Australia.

 

Nketiah's early career

The Lewisham-born striker joined Chelsea at the age of nine in 2008 but was released in 2015.

The Arsenal academy came calling and turned Nketiah into a goal machine, scoring 15 goals in 16 appearances for U18s and 12 goals in 26 appearances at U23 level in the 2016/17 season.

Nketiah was called up by former manager Arsene Wenger for the pre-season tour to Australia and China in 2017 and for a Europa League match against Bate Borisov the same season.

He scored his first goal in an Arsenal shirt in an EFL Cup game against Norwich, and his first Premier League goal against Burnley the following season.

These bit-part appearances continued until 2019 when he was expected to join FC Augsburg on loan, but Danny Welbeck's injury meant that he stayed at Arsenal.

This sparked a more regular run in the first team in the 2019/20 pre-season in which he scored four goals.
 

 

On loan at Leeds United

In August 2019, he joined Leeds United on loan for the remainder of the season and made his debut against Salford City in the EFL Cup.

Marcelo Bielsa described him as a "complete player" and a "young, important player in English football"

Nketiah's progress at Elland Road was curtailed by injury and Bielsa's preference for Patrick Bamford meant he predominantly came off the bench.

His first start came against Birmingham City in 2019 in a 5-4 victory for Leeds United.

He made 17 appearance in the league, scoring three goals, as Leeds United went on to win promotion back to the Premier League.

 

Nketiah returns to Arsenal

Nketiah was recalled by Arsenal in January 2020 and scored against AFC Bournemouth in the FA Cup fourth round.

He was eligible to receive a Championship winners medal because of the games he played at Leeds and ended the season by helping Arsenal win the FA Cup against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium and the Community Shield against Liverpool.

In December 2021, he scored his first senior hat-trick for the Gunners in a 5-1 win over Sunderland in the EFL quarter-finals.
In April 2022, he scored his first Premier League brace in a 4-2 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Nketiah backed up his brace against Chelsea with another two-goal haul against his former club Leeds in May 2022 in the Premier League.

He scored 10 goals in 27 appearances during the 2021/22 campaign, his best return in an Arsenal shirt.

He netted nine in the 22/23 season and then just six in 23/24, although that did included his first Premier League hat-trick against Sheffield United in October 2023.

However, his first-team opportunities were getting slimmer and slimmer as competition for places hotted up while Arsenal finished runners-up in the Premier League.

On transfer deadline day in August 2024, Nketiah joined Crystal Palace for a reported £30m fee.

Nketiah signed a five-year deal with the Eagles to become their fifth summer signing. He had scored 38 goals in 168 games for the Gunners.

 

International career

Nketiah is eligible to play for Ghana but has represented England at youth and Under-21 level.

In 2020, he broke Alan Shearer's goalscoring record for the Under-21s when he scored the second goal in a 2-1 win over Turkey - a victory that secured the Three Lions a place at the 2021 Uefa European Under-21 Championship and ended in a group stage exit.

Nketiah broke into the full England squad in 2023 and made his full debut as substitute in a 1-0 friendly win over Australia.

 

Net worth

Nketiah's net worth is £7.1m.

 

Nketiah's boots

Eddie Nketiah wears the Nike Mercurial Superflys.
 

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