Crystal Palace have a proud tradition of promoting young players, and Steve Parish will be hoping that can continue.
The Eagles simply do not have the spending power of many Premier League clubs, and need to be smart with their spending. Splashing the cash on big transfers has not always worked out anyway, such as the £27m spend on Christian Benteke, who scored just three Premier League goals this season.
There is an excellent list of alumni from the Crystal Palace youth set up. Star player Wilfried Zaha graduated through the ranks to become the South Londoner’s key player. The club have also produced the likes of Victor Moses, Ben Watson and Nathaniel Clyne. Giving a chance to young players to showcase their talents is very much a part of Palace’s DNA, particularly in recent years.
Roy Hodgson should continue this tradition and unearth the best young talent Crystal Palace has to offer, bringing through young players means taking less of a risk than spending big on new imports. The Croydon-born manager is sure to keep Steve Parish happy if he can find the next Wilfried Zaha.
With that in mind, here are two players Roy Hodgson should promote into the Palace starting eleven…
Aaron-Wan Bissaka showed he is capable of playing Premier League football last season, and it is time to promote him to a regular starting eleven spot.
Despite the fact 28-year-old Joel Ward has returned from injury, Hodgson should seriously consider giving Aaron Wan-Bissaka the chance to prove himself in the starting eleven. He has fantastic energy, and tracks the runs of attackers superbly.
Regular football would do wonders for the development of the defender, he certainly stands a chance of being the next big thing to come out of the Crystal Palace academy.
The 19-year-old needs a chance to show what he can do.
The Belgian born player has been on the fringes of the first team set up, but it is time to give him a chance to see what he can do. The winger’s trickery and pace echoes that of Wilfried Zaha. When Zaha was coming through the ranks, Palace were a Championship side, so it was easier to grab a chance in first-team football.
Hodgson should take the risk of starting Lokilo in a Premier League game, he is an unknown quantity and would be difficult for defences to plan for.
