The Eagles boss has showered encomium on the midfielder for his ability to adapt to any position in his team
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has hailed Eberechi Eze, describing him as a talented versatile player.
The Anglo-Nigerian has been delivering consistent performances for the Eagles since teaming up with the side from Championship club Queens Park Rangers last summer.
The midfielder has made more than 30 appearances across all competitions since his arrival starring in a number of positions for the Eagles.
Hodgson has showered encomium on the 22-year-old ahead of their Premier League game against Manchester City on Saturday.
“Well, Eberechi's a player that's played in lots of positions. He's a very talented ballplayer, a very good offensive midfielder. We're trying to encourage him to be a good all-round midfield player,” Hodgson said in a pre-match press conference.
“I don't think it's a problem playing him in a position slightly in-field because that's where he spent a lot of his time for Queens Park Rangers. He even spent a lot of time centrally in behind the forward.
“So it's just a different position that we asked him to play on Monday night in terms of giving us the setup to play Leicester that we wanted.
“But it certainly wasn't asking him to do anything that he's uncomfortable with, and if you ask him, of course, he prefers to be further infield than playing out wide.”
Eze will hope to feature against Pep Guardiola’s men and help his side return to winning ways after a three-game winless run, including back-to-back defeats against Chelsea and Leicester City.
The midfielder started his senior career with QPR in 2016 and went on to become a key figure for the Superhoops before leaving the side.
He made more than 100 appearances for Queens Park Rangers, scoring a number of breath-taking goals to earn a move to the Premier League side.
Eze is eligible to represent the Nigeria national team despite having featured for England U-20 and U21 sides.
The midfielder recently confirmed to Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr that he is still thinking about the choice to make.