Eberechi Eze’s willingness to spend hours studying game footage highlights the kind of character Arsenal have brought in.

Eberechi Eze completed a summer switch from Crystal Palace to Arsenal, with supporters eager to see the flair-filled attacker who has taken inspiration from Brazilian icon Ronaldinho.

The 26-year-old admitted that his eye-catching style was shaped by hours spent studying Ronaldinho’s skills, revealing that he would constantly search online for footage of the legendary playmaker.

Arsenal secured Eze on a four-year deal worth £67.5million, beating north London rivals Tottenham to his signature after his rise as one of the Premier League’s most exciting attacking talents. He made his debut in the 1-0 loss to Liverpool, coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes.

With Nottingham Forest visiting the Emirates this weekend, Mikel Arteta could hand him his first start in front of home fans, who are set to witness a player driven by a passion for creativity inspired by Ronaldinho.

Back in 2021, while speaking to Palace’s official website, Eze reflected: “We’d come home from school, go on the computer and type in ‘Ronaldinho.’ Any video we found, whether he was on the pitch or elsewhere, we’d watch it. There’s probably no clip we hadn’t already seen. Even now, I still search for him—he’s had that much of an influence on me.”

But Ronaldinho wasn’t his only footballing hero. Eze has also long admired Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, admitting earlier this year via Into Football: “Henry was number one. Henry and Ronaldinho—those were the two you watched on YouTube. They played with joy and passion, and that’s what inspired me. They’ve been role models for as long as I can remember.”

Now, Eze is focused on creating his own story in north London. Before helping Palace secure a surprise FA Cup triumph last May, he shared with BBC Sport: “It’s easy to lose sight of why you’re doing what you’re doing—especially with the type of player I am. But keeping that love and purpose is everything.”