Eddie Nketiah sealed his £30m move to Crystal Palace and bumped into an old family friend as he returned to south London on deadline day.
After rejecting a switch to Nottingham Forest earlier this month, Nketiah completed his transfer to Palace on Friday, and will now be playing in the part of London he grew up in.
Palace have now released footage of Nketiah going back to his hometown on the day his signing was announced and having a heartwarming reunion with a family friend who was certainly not expecting to see him.
The video begins with the woman exclaiming: ‘No! He was one of my babies!’ before embracing Nketiah.
She added: ‘Look at you. I used to change his nappies! I was just about to come out here and say “who’s this in my car park?”‘
Eddie Nketiah bumped into a family friend as he walked around his hometown after signing for Crystal Palace on deadline day
Nketiah completed his £30m move from Arsenal after rejecting Nottingham Forest earlier this month
Things then turned a little more serious as the woman told Nketiah: ‘I’m so proud of you. It’s so heartfelt.
‘I’ve been here like 30 years so when you see one of your babies it’s like… well say hello to mum again. I’m always bumping into her.’
It seems Nketiah will have to get used to seeing familiar faces as the footage then cut to the 25-year-old being driven in a car as he pointed out the window and told the camera: ‘I’ve just seen my cousin right there you know. That’s crazy.’
Palace are back in action on Sunday when they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.
Nketiah was not registered in time to play that game, so he will have to wait for his Eagles debut until after the international break.
