Thought For The Day – Monday 19th May 2025
Keep Going, Keep Believing
Good luck to Year 7 in their examinations, which commence to today. The dreams of the future start with the present, informed and inspired by the past. Respect the rules of the examinations and do, and give, your best. Let’s go.
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“The Eagles” of Crystal Palace Football Club dared…flew high and landed the men’s F.A. Cup on Saturday tea time. It was the first “major” trophy in the club’s history.
One of their many great players is Eberechi Eze.
Growing up in council housing in Greenwich, Eberechi loved football, honing and practicing his skills a small “yellow cage” in Greenwich.
In his cage playing, entertainment, flair and skill was the motivation and passion.
To achieve his dreams, Eberechi had to be resilient.
Aged 13, Eberechi Eze was released by Arsenal. He cried in his room for a week. When he faced Arsenal a few months later, he was very emotional and tearful.
Eberechi would also be released by Fulham and Reading. He had unsuccessful trials and spells at Bristol City, Sunderland and Millwall. All before the age 18.
Eberechi could have given up. But he did not.
But: “All I kept asking myself was: ‘When’s the next trial? When’s the next trial?’, he said in this brilliant interview last week: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0l9x30z/the-fa-cup-202425-ezes-journey-from-rejection-to-wembley
Keep going. And go again, again and again.
Play, play, play.
It was Queens Park Rangers, and their coaches, who saw Eberechi’s talent and potential, gave him a chance and nurtured his gifts. Everyone has, and finds, a home.
Who or what nurtures you and us?
How do you and we respond when things do not go to plan?
In August 2020, Eze completed a £19.5 million move to Crystal Palace.
On May 17th Eberechi Eze scored the winning goal in the Men’s F.A. Cup Final of 2025: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/cql2yz0yrgeo
Eberechi was brought up as a Christian, regularly going to church.
In his special moment, on Saturday, Eberechi gave all the credit to: other people; his family; the team and community; his faith and God.
