It wasn’t an apology. It wasn’t even real. On November 24, 2025, a viral clip claiming Jamie Carragher had publicly apologized to Eberechi Eze — calling him an ‘Arsenal star’ — collapsed under scrutiny. The twist? Eberechi Eze has never worn an Arsenal shirt. Not once. Not in a youth academy. Not on loan. Not in a preseason friendly. The entire premise was built on sand.
The Myth That Went Viral
The story exploded on X (formerly Twitter) on November 22, 2025, when user @FootyFacts24 posted a 47-second video falsely labeled: ‘Carragher Apologises to Eze (Arsenal)’. The clip, edited to splice audio from Carragher’s October 2023 apology to Declan Rice over a comment about his Premier League credentials, was superimposed with visuals of Eze in a red Arsenal jersey — a jersey he never owned. It racked up 1.2 million views in under 24 hours. Fans cheered. Memes multiplied. Even some sports blogs ran with it. But here’s the thing: Eberechi Eze has been a Crystal Palace player since August 2019. The Football Association’s official player registry, updated July 15, 2024, lists him exclusively under Palace. His jersey number? 10. His contract? Extended through June 30, 2028. His market value? £45 million, per Transfermarkt. And his only previous club? Queens Park Rangers, where he played 150 matches before his £16 million move to Selhurst Park.Why Arsenal Was Never in the Picture
Arsenal’s 2024 squad list, filed with the Premier League on August 15, 2024, contains zero players named Eze. The Premier League’s Player Registration System (reference PL2024/1873) confirms Eze’s status as a Palace player as of May 14, 2024. Meanwhile, Sky Sports News’s chief reporter David Ornstein wrote on July 5, 2024: ‘Arsenal’s midfield targets this window focus on alternatives; Eze’s Palace contract eliminates any realistic move.’ Even the rumors were thin. The Guardian’s Jonathan McEvoy noted in May 2024: ‘Eberechi Eze remains firmly committed to Crystal Palace under his 2023 contract, with no credible transfer links to Arsenal despite persistent social media rumors.’ Carragher, a former Liverpool captain and Sky Sports pundit since 2013, has only ever issued two public apologies on air: one to Rice in October 2023, and another to Virgil van Dijk in April 2022. Neither involved Eze. No broadcast archive, no PA Media transcript, no Sky Sports internal log references any such exchange.The Real Source of the Confusion
The manipulated video wasn’t just inaccurate — it was a clever, malicious edit. The audio came from Carragher’s apology to Rice, who *did* join Arsenal in August 2023. The video footage? Stock images of Eze in a Palace kit, digitally overlaid with Arsenal colors. The captions? Fabricated. The timing? Perfectly timed to exploit the chaos of the summer transfer window. It was flagged by Full Fact, Meta’s certified fact-checking partner, on November 23, 2025, at 14:30 GMT. Their correction was blunt: ‘This video misrepresents a 2023 segment about Declan Rice; Eberechi Eze has never played for Arsenal.’ The implications? This wasn’t just a case of mistaken identity. It was a case of identity theft — of a player’s legacy, of a pundit’s reputation, and of public trust in sports media.
What This Means for Football Fans
We live in an era where a 47-second clip can rewrite history. Eze, a dynamic attacking midfielder with 12 England caps as of June 2024, deserves to be known for his actual achievements: his pace, his dribbling, his crucial goals for Palace in 2023-24. Instead, he became a pawn in a viral hoax. For Carragher, it’s a reminder that even respected voices can be weaponized. For Arsenal fans, it’s a lesson in critical thinking — why believe a clip that contradicts every official record? For the sport overall, it’s another wake-up call: misinformation doesn’t need to be complex. It just needs to be convincing.What’s Next?
Full Fact has no plans to pursue legal action, but they’ve added Eze’s profile to their database of commonly misreported players. X has not removed the original post, but it’s now tagged with a ‘Manipulated Media’ warning. Crystal Palace’s communications team issued a quiet statement: ‘Eberechi is one of our own. We’re proud of him. And we’re tired of the noise.’ The Premier League hasn’t commented. But internally, they’re reviewing how to better flag player registration discrepancies in real time — especially when they’re being used to fuel viral content.
Background: Eze’s Real Journey
Born in Greenwich, London, in 1998, Eze joined QPR’s academy at age nine. He signed his first pro deal in 2014, at 16. Made his senior debut in 2016. By 2019, he was a Championship standout. Palace paid £16 million — a club record at the time — for a player many thought was too small, too slow, too raw. He proved them wrong. In 2023, he became the first Palace player since Wilfried Zaha to be named in an England squad without having played in the Premier League before his international call-up. He’s not an Arsenal player. He’s a Palace legend in the making.Why Carragher’s Name Got Dragged In
Carragher’s apology to Rice in October 2023 was genuine, emotional, and widely shared. He said: ‘I was wrong. Declan belongs here.’ That moment stuck. So when someone wanted to make a fake apology go viral, they used the most famous one as a template. It worked. Until it didn’t. The truth is messy. But it’s always worth digging for.Frequently Asked Questions
How do we know Eberechi Eze never played for Arsenal?
Official records from the Premier League, the Football Association, and Crystal Palace’s own registry confirm Eze has never been registered with Arsenal. His only professional clubs are QPR (2016–2019) and Crystal Palace (2019–present). Arsenal’s 2024 squad list, filed in August, contains no player named Eze. Transfermarkt, BBC Sport, and The Athletic all corroborate this.
Was Jamie Carragher ever involved with Eberechi Eze on air?
No. Carragher has never mentioned Eze on Sky Sports in a context requiring an apology. His only two on-air apologies were to Declan Rice (2023) and Virgil van Dijk (2022). No broadcast footage, transcript, or production log from Sky Sports shows any interaction between Carragher and Eze.
Why did this fake video spread so quickly?
It exploited two powerful triggers: rivalry (Arsenal vs. Palace) and celebrity (Carragher’s blunt style). The edit was convincing — using real audio and recognizable imagery. Social media algorithms prioritize engagement, not accuracy. Once it hit 1 million views, it became ‘news’ by volume, not truth.
What’s being done to stop this kind of misinformation?
Full Fact has added Eze’s profile to its database of frequently misreported players. X now tags similar content with ‘Manipulated Media’ warnings. The Premier League is exploring real-time registration alerts for broadcasters. But the real defense? Fans asking: ‘Does this make sense? Is this verified?’
Could Eze ever join Arsenal in the future?
Technically, yes — but only after his contract expires in 2028. He’s under contract until then, and Palace have shown no interest in selling. Even if he became a free agent, Arsenal would face stiff competition from clubs like Tottenham and Newcastle, who’ve tracked him for years. But for now, he’s a Palace player through and through.
How many England caps does Eberechi Eze have?
As of June 8, 2024, Eze has earned 12 senior caps for England. He made his debut in March 2023 under Gareth Southgate and played in World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland. His international status is tied to his club affiliation with Crystal Palace — not Arsenal, never Arsenal.
