Eberechi Eze has developed into a key attacking outlet for Crystal Palace – only Wilf Zaha has been involved in more goals

It was the 87th minute at Bramall Lane, and Crystal Palace were drawing closer to seeing out their 1-0 win over Sheffield United.

Eberechi Eze started his scintillating solo run inside his own half. Picking up the ball close to the byline on the far left-hand side, Eze easily jinked past John Lundstram, leaving the robust midfielder dead in his tracks.

George Baldock was next to attempt to chase down Eze, but the 22-year-old had set his sights on goal, and nobody was getting in his way.

As Eze closed in, the sea of red and white shirts flooded the area around him and attempted to suffocate his innate vision. But with every delicate touch of the ball – which was alluringly glued to his feet – Eze gave himself breathing room.

Arriving at the edge of the box, Eze enticingly shifted his body to cast a spell over Chris Basham and John Egan to render them motionless – clipping a shot towards goal, which ricocheted off John Fleck and rolled into the back of the net.

The majority of the Eagles’ faithful have been cruelly denied the opportunity to drool over his mesmerising, majestic magic in person. However, those watching at home begin to sit up and take notice when he receives the ball. Eze’s elegant movements have become an exhilarating sight for Crystal Palace fans.

There was a slight hint of caution over Eze’s inaugural season in the top-flight – a reserved approach that refused to place too much expectation on his young shoulders as he looked to find his feet in the frightening pace of the Premier League. But the initial £15million fee paid out to Queens Park Rangers is appearing to be a shrewd piece of business. Eze is flourishing amongst the glitterati of the big stage.

Despite many saying Eze would be sentenced to a footballing Siberia by Roy Hodgson and would be denied the vital minutes that he needed to adjust to the Premier League, it has been far from the case.

Eze has featured in 33 of the 35 games this season. He has rapidly established himself as an integral piece of Hodgson’s jigsaw – with the attacking intent, intensity and initiative of the side drastically diminished when the creative spark is not on the pitch.

To caveat Eze’s excellence on Saturday, of course, Sheffield United have already been relegated to the Championship, and Eze will not be afforded that luxury of space every week. However, when it was there to be exploited, Eze capitalised.

Eze completed 100 per cent of five dribbles attempted – more than anyone on the pitch – and he also recovered possession seven times.

This season, Eze’s significance is so essential to Palace that only Wilfried Zaha has been involved in more Premier League goals, 12, then Eze, with nine. The way Eze manipulates the ball to his tune and uses his composure to look forward when in possession has seen the England U21 international create five big chances for Hodgson’s side this season.

A recent change of heart from Roy Hodgson over the strict and arduous formation of 4-4-2 to a fluid 4-5-1 has seen Eze thrive in a central position. It has unlocked his freedom and vision, which perhaps became unsighted and blurry out on the left of midfield.

Eze’s emergence has relieved the attacking burden from Wilfried Zaha, and he has proferred an artistic touch from the middle of the pitch that the Eagles have been yearning for since the departure of Yohan Cabaye.

Roy Hodgson was full of praise for Eze after the game in his post-match press conference: “He was very, very good. He’s had a difficult period. It’s a bit of a baptism of fire, playing three games in a row against Chelsea, Man City and Leicester.

“It’s not as easy sometimes to get on the ball and show your silky skills in the same way that he was able to do today – where there was a little bit more space in the midfield for him.

“We know that that’s the quality he possesses. We constantly preach to him that we want to see that quality and that we’ll back him up – and we’re not going to criticise him if he tries it, and it doesn’t come off.

“He was bold when he got the ball. He drove forward with the ball, which we know he can do. He stayed on the ball – he wasn’t looking to release it as soon as he got it. He got his reward with the assist and the goal, and we got our rewards for his good play.”

While Palace’s recruitment strategy has had to feed off scraps in recent years, the signing of Eze should signal a change of direction and prove to the club that taking a risk in the saturated transfer market should be the way forward for the South Londoners.

It is still clouded as to whether Roy Hodgson will be at the helm of the Eagles next season. But should a new manager take over at Selhurst Park, they will be greeted by an exceptional talent in Eze – a player who is really starting to impose himself on the Premier League stage.