Justin Devenny announced himself on Saturday with a goal as Crystal Palace drew 2-2 away to Aston Villa.
The Northern Ireland international – who was making just his second Premier League appearance – ran his socks off to get on the end of a cross from Ismaila Sarr, becoming our ninth youngest Premier League goalscorer as a result.
| Player | Date | Result | Age |
| Clinton Morrison | May 10th 1998 | Crystal Palace 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday | 18 years 11 months 26 days |
| Bruce Dyer | Sep 10th 1994 | Manchester City 1-1 Crystal Palace | 19 years 04 months 28 days |
| Michael Olise | Oct 3rd 2021 | Crystal Palace 2-2 Leicester City | 19 years 09 months 21 days |
| Marcus Bent | Mar 11th 1998 | Chelsea 6-2 Crystal Palace | 19 years 09 months 20 days |
| Wayne Routledge | Nov 27th 2004 | Southampton 2-2 Crystal Palace | 19 years 10 months 20 days |
| George Ndah | Jan 14th 1995 | Crystal Palace 2-0 Leicester City | 20 years 22 days |
| Matt Jansen | Mar 14th 1998 | Aston Villa 3-1 Crystal Palace | 20 years 04 months 22 days |
| Simon Osborn | Aug 15th 1992 | Crystal Palace 3-3 Blackburn Rovers | 20 years 06 months 27 days |
| Justin Devenny | Nov 23rd 2024 | Aston Villa 2-2 Crystal Palace | 21 years 01 month 12 days |
It capped off a whirlwind week for the 21-year-old, who also made his debut for Northern Ireland in a 2-2 UEFA Nations League clash against Luxembourg just five days before his goal at Villa Park.
Now – on Instagram – fellow Crystal Palace academy graduates David Ozoh and Joe Whitworth have sent messages to Justin Devenny.
What David Ozoh and Joe Whitworth wrote to Justin Devenny
Both Ozoh and Whitworth know how it feels to represent Crystal Palace in the Premier League after emerging from the youth ranks – and the pair were quick to congratulate the Irishman.
Whitworth – who is shining on loan at Exeter this season – wrote “what a boy” in response to Devenny’s post, with the pair close friends after making 14 appearances together in the Crystal Palace academy.
In regards to Ozoh – who is currently on loan at Derby – the England U18 international simply posted a heart emoji to show his love towards the Crystal Palace No.55, who he played four games alongside in the youth ranks.
Devenny is clearly a popular figure, as Mark Bright also sent him a bunch of applauding emojis, while the talented Mofe Jemide, Jadan Raymond, Sean Grehan and Asher Agbinone also congratulated him.
What Oliver Glasner said about Justin Devenny after Aston Villa 2-2 Crystal Palace
It would be easy for Crystal Palace fans to get carried away after the Irishman’s breakthrough, but Oliver Glasner spoke about Devenny like a man who is eager not to let expectations run wild, revealing that the Eagles will keep him “back” a bit.
The Austrian said: “He’s an unbelievable footballer, very technical. He understands the game, finds space, and can score goals. He is young. We will keep him a little bit back so that he can develop in the right way.”
Some Crystal Palace fans – who were impressed by Devenny on Saturday – may feel disappointed about this comment, but the beast that is the Premier League has often chewed up promising young talents and spat them out, so perhaps a cautious approach is best.
