- Richards praises 19-year-old Canvot
- Suggests Palace are lucky to have him
- Testament to Palace’s transfer model
Crystal Palace’s American defender Chris Richards has shared his thoughts on his defensive partner, Jaydee Canvot.
Canvot was signed from Toulouse last Summer for a fee in the region of £20 million. The original plan was that he’d play a bit part role in Palace’s squad this season, Marc Guéhi’s sale to Manchester City accelerated plans.
With little to no time to find a replacement for the departing captain, Palace turned to 19-year-old Canvot. Prior to Guéhi’s departure, the young Frenchman had featured primarily in cup competitions but also in the Europa Conference League.
A handful of mistakes, par for the course with such a young player, had given Canvot a brutal introduction to senior football. Conceding possession that led directly to the AEK Larnaca winner in the league phase was potentially the most notable error, however his progression from this point has been incredible.
Richards Heaps Praise on Canvot
As the most senior player in Palace’s back three, Richards has taken Canvot under his wing. He told club media:
“Everybody saw his talent coming in. I remember being 19 and playing at a decent level – sometimes you’re rough around the edges – but one of the things about him is that he’s willing to learn.”
“He’s asking questions, asking the right questions, leaning on people for advice.”
The USA’s captain speaks about Canvot with a similar level of adoration as Palace fans feel. Mistakes are overlooked and accepted as a key part of his development, but there have been significantly more positives from his performances.
His improvement has also been clear to see, Canvot evidently learning and getting better with every minute he plays.
In fact, he’s been so impressive that it’s hard to say with full confidence that Palace would be in any better position with Guéhi still playing for the club. Palace can’t be in a better place when it comes to European football, and the Premier League is still so tight that it’s hard to say Palace would be any higher than they find themselves.
Proof the Model Works
Canvot’s success in stepping in and replacing Guéhi has been a key encouragement for the model of recruitment that Palace have attempted to follow in recent seasons. Signing young promising talents and developing them is not a unique concept, but Palace’s trust in these players is crucial to the model working.
Having a manager who is willing to put trust into young players is also crucial, and Palace fans will be hoping that Canvot can continue his development and become a key figure for the club. Richards shares that same ambition:
“I’m really happy that everybody else is starting to see how well he’s done for us. He’ll be a big part of our future.”
Canvot has featured consistently for France’s Under-21s and is, along with Liverpool’s Jeremy Jacquet, considered a huge part of Les Bleus’ future set-up.
He’s also now played 27 games for Palace this season, 14 of those in the Premier League, and 9 in the Conference League. That experience for a 19-year-old is incredible, and really reminds you just how talented this player is.
To be starting consistently and playing as well as he is shows just what sort of talent Palace have managed to acquire, and looking back it’s a shock that Palace faced so little competition for his signature.
