Outstanding talent, but still only just 18. No reason to rush him yet

I've watched him now in 3 or 4 games and he has impressed me each time.

His work rate is impressive, as is his reading of the game. He's good with the ball at his feet and he likes to take on players. OK, so he's only 18, but the trend for starting young gives him every opportunity to play for us I would imagine.

Wan Bissaka, Sancho, Rashford, Mitchell, Saka to name but a few are given the chance. Why not our guy?

Dad and I watched games standing on the muddy slope of the Holmesdale Road end. He cheered and I rattled.

Every single one of them is ready when they're ready, if they're ever ready at all. As long as I can remember Palace have had promising youngsters at the club, but the chasm between that status and being not only a professional footballer, not only a top flight player, but one who will improve a solid mid table side more than anything we can get on the market, well, that's more than most can ever navigate.

We shouldn't mislead ourselves into believing that the new academy is a guarantee of first team players. It's remarkably hard to make it. Any kids that do are still a bonus, not an entitlement.

Since we got Category one status for our academy last year, I certainly feel a lot more confident we will see more stars of the future coming through. We are now nicking youngsters that used to go to Chelsea and Arsenal. Steve Parish has said we will have an academy that will rival Man City in the future

We can all dream and SP does more than most. I think it fair to say that our new Academy will help us pick up some of the young talent in South London that previously went north of the river or even up north. I reckon the club will want to see a couple of players get 1st team outings this year as an encouragement to the others and to prospective youngsters. Also with the six part TV series being filmed over the next year, they will want it to show some successful graduation. Personally, I expect Hannam and Rak-Sakyi to be the two who will get that chance; Omilabu may need another year.

Totally agree.

I do sense a mentality switch at Palace which could see younger prospects fast tracked. That wasn't happening over the past few years, but the advent of the Academy development has coincided with a promising crop of youngsters.

Old, Ungifted and White