Crystal Palace took Margate striker Freddie Ladapo on a trial and it’s fair to say the 23-year-old made a big impression.
Ladapo was named in the Palace U21 team to face Watford’s U21 side and he managed to score a hat-trick as Gary Issott’s side hammered the young Hornets 5-0.
After the rise of stars such as Southampton’s Charlie Austin and Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, it makes sense for Football League clubs to be looking for talent at the non-league level and Palace may have found a gem in Ladapo.
According to a report by Jon Phipps of the Thanet Gazette, Margate accepted a transfer bid for the 23-year-old in the January window from an unknown non-league side but the player turned down the move as he is only interested in joining a Football League side.
Palace are likely to offer the striker another trial game with the U21s and if he performs well again, a transfer is certainly a possibility.
