A number of players have enjoyed success after leaving Crystal Palace.
Michael Olise is currently well on his way to becoming the best right winger in Europe after a stunning start to life at Bayern Munich – scoring six goals and providing three assists in his first ten appearances.
Going back much further, Ian Wright became a Premier League winner after departing Selhurst Park for Arsenal in 1991 – also winning several Golden Boot awards.
Now, a player Crystal Palace sold for just £4.5m while Patrick Vieira was at the helm has just achieved something special too.
Christian Benteke wins MLS Golden Boot ahead of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez
Back in August 2022, Crystal Palace decided to sell Christian Benteke to D.C. United for a sum of just £4.5m – which represented a huge loss on the £27m spent to sign him from Liverpool in August 2016.
It seemed as if the Belgian would simply be embarking on one last payday as he embarked into his thirties, playing at a much less competitive level after scoring just 20 goals in his final 122 Premier League appearances.
However – to our surprise – Benteke has blossomed in Washington, and is now the proud owner of the Major League Soccer Golden Boot award after scoring 23 goals in 30 MLS appearances, helping D.C. United finish tenth.
The Belgium international even beat the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to the award, emphasising just how prolific he was in the 2023/24 campaign.
Crystal Palace fans should be proud
It was tough to watch Benteke – who messaged Tyrick Mitchell in April – in red and blue for several years, as the monstrous striker who once terrorised Premier League defences fizzled out into a gentle giant who rarely found the net.
That must have also been tough for the 33-year-old on a personal level, especially as his downfall began due to a serious Achilles injury, so it is nice to see him return to his ways of old over in Washington, once again scaring the life out of opponents.
For what it’s worth, it was absolutely the correct decision to take £4.5m for Benteke and cut our losses, but on a personal note rather than a financial one, it is a heartwarming development.
