The England international opens up about the surprising Gunner who exceeded his expectations despite a squad full of stars.

Eberechi Eze has openly admitted that while he held high expectations for the star-studded squad upon his arrival at Arsenal towards the end of the summer transfer window, one player, in particular, managed to exceed those lofty standards: Jurriën Timber.

Following his £60 million signing from Crystal Palace, Eze now shares the dressing room with giants like Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard, and William Saliba.

However, the versatile Dutch defender has managed to stand out more than anyone else in the eyes of the new arrival.

Why Timber Stands Above Arsenal’s Biggest Names

Speaking on GOAL’s Beast Mode On podcast, Eze confirmed that the quality across the Arsenal team is exactly what one would anticipate, but highlighted Timber as a special case.

“Everyone is sort of what you expect them to be,” Eze told former striker Adebayo Akinfenwa. “The expectation of all the players is high. I’ll say one player who has gone even beyond the high expectation I already had—because I’d heard good things about him—was Jurriën Timber.”

Eze, who called it a “pleasure” to be part of the culture at Arsenal, concluded his praise by calling the defender a “special player and a special guy.”

Timber originally joined Arsenal from Ajax in the summer of 2023 for a £38.5 million deal.

Despite missing most of his debut season after suffering an ACL injury in his first Premier League appearance, the Dutchman—who can play at right back or centre back—has since returned to the starting lineup, notably displacing Ben White, and clearly made a lasting impression on his new colleague.