'It was like home for me' - Eddie Nketiah opens up on Arsenal transfer exit

Eddie Nketiah says his exit from Arsenal has allowed him to pursue his next steps in football, having been starved for game time towards the end of last season.

The England international played fewer than 30 minutes of action after March, starting just 13 of his 37 outings across all competitions. Half of his six goals came in one match - a hat-trick against bottom side Sheffield United - with none of them coming after January.

All 10 of his league starts had come before the turn of the new year, having initially deputised for the injured Gabriel Jesus before Kai Havertz eventually adopted his centre-forward role. - whose England debut, and sole cap, came a year ago last Sunday - left for Palace in a £30million deadline day move in August.

He was one of a number of academy products to be offloaded with Emile Smith Rowe joining Fulham before Reiss Nelson followed him to Craven Cottage on loan. Nketiah - who moved to from Chelsea’s academy - has unpacked why he chose Palace as his next employers, having spent more than a decade at the Gunners.

“Obviously, I’ve been at Arsenal for 11 years, so it was like a home for me,” Nketiah told Palace. “But leaving, you just want to take that next step in your career.

“I think Crystal Palace is a wonderful place. I’ve seen a lot of players develop and take the next step in their career here – so that’s what I want to do. I want to improve.

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“I want to play more minutes, and hopefully help the team as much as I can. I’m just going to build on it – and the more I play, the better I’m going to get.”

Nketiah has started all five Palace matches he has been available for this season and scored his first Eagles goal in September’s 2-1 Carabao Cup away win at Queens Park Rangers.