Crystal Palace have an exciting academy right now with several names making headlines which will be exciting to Oliver Glasner.
Selhurst Park has been awaiting the rewards of talented youth levels through the years and recently it’s starting to look like those players are beginning to impress.
Oliver Glasner will be delighted to see this as he’s well known to be willing to hand youth an opportunity. Several have already featured in Marbella during a friendly against Bodo/Glimt.
Now, Crystal Palace have had five players named in London’s top 50 academy youth prospects in a ranking by The Standard.
Here are the five Palace players named, including a 16-year-old winger who seems an exciting player…
Zach Marsh
Zach Marsh is only 18 but looks like a top talent for Palace up front as he has enjoyed quite the goalscoring tally this campaign.
16 goals in 12 games in the U18 Premier League is a tally to be proud of, with 12 of his 16 coming in just four games, with hattricks against Southampton, Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham.
Marsh is knocking on the door of being handed a senior call-up and we wouldn’t be surprised to see some cameos toward the end of this season.
David Ozoh
Already a permanent fixture in the first-team squad, 18-year-old David Ozoh has become a name fans are desperate to see be given more chances.
Regularly an unused substitute or making short cameos, he has shown he deserves better this season, particularly against Man City in December.
Likely the best prospect at the club, he has the physical and technical qualities needed to make it in the Premier League, so don’t be surprised to see his minutes increase as the season draws to a close.
Mofe Jemide
17-year-old defender Mofe Jemide is the next Eagles prospect to be named on this list, with the commanding centre-half an imposing presence in defence.
He is a player who’s both comfortable on the ball, with an excellent passing range but also physically dominant.
Captaining the U18 side on several occasions this season showcases his leadership qualities at a young age and he was also part of the England U17 team which reached the Euros quarter-finals last season.
Still far from being the finished product, but he could be a potential long-term replacement for Joachim Andersen in a few years.
Jesse Derry
Jesse Derry is only 16, yet has been making waves at an U18 level with the dual-footed winger being versatile enough to thrive on either wing.
He’s been a regular this season for the U18s with 10 goals and three assists in 14 U18 Premier League games while having a further goal and assist in the FA Youth Cup this season.
Derry is one of the most exciting kids in the academy, he has more goals than caps (four in three) for England’s U17s and has just received another call-up much to his father’s delight.
looks well-placed to make the jump to regularly playing at U21 level next season.
Samuel Lusale
Probably the least known name on this list of Palace’s players in the top 50, 16-year-old Samuel Lusale, who is another tricky winger with an eye for goal, similar to Derry.
He has just made his U17 Slovakia debut with an assist for the winning goal against Switzerland.
With just four U18 Premier League appearances this season, next year will be when he targets making a real statement at the level for Palace, with Derry moving up.
