Crystal Palace’s rising star: Joel Drakes-Thomas – a history-making teenager with personality

Playing twice within 48 hours was an inconvenience Crystal Palace could have done without last season.

Competing in the UEFA Conference League alongside a run to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and a congested festive period in the Premier League, their success caused a fixture pile-up.

But it offered an opportunity. Then-manager Oliver Glasner chose to name a completely changed starting XI for the Conference League game against Finnish side KuPS in December, with a Premier League fixture away at Leeds United to follow two days later on the Saturday night and the Carabao Cup tie with Arsenal on the following Tuesday.

That meant a chance for two youngsters in particular. The youngest of them was Joel Drakes-Thomas, a 16-year-old forward who can play as a wing-back. Also in the starting line-up for his debut was 17-year-old left wing-back Dean Benamar. Both impressed, but Drakes-Thomas was especially bright, subsequently becoming Palace’s youngest Premier League player when coming off the bench in what was a heavy 4-1 defeat by Leeds.

There was a brief appearance from the bench against Newcastle United on January 4 before a start in the 2-1 defeat by Macclesfield in the FA Cup, a game on which he struggled to impose himself.

Joel Drakes-Thomas playing against Newcastle in the Premier League in January (George Wood/Getty Images)

But the teenager is viewed with great promise at Palace. The Athletic reported in December that he had agreed to sign a professional contract when eligible to do so on his 17th birthday, with that being confirmed in June.

His efforts in that 2-2 draw with KuPS did not go unnoticed, and while Glasner later warned that Palace would have problems if they were to rely on a 16-year-old, those comments did not reflect his view of Drakes-Thomas but acknowledged his inexperience and age.

He had praised Drakes-Thomas’ confidence after the KuPS game. Glasner, not a manager to prioritise youth, was demanding of his players and age made no difference. “He has a nice personality,” Glasner said. “I like it if (young players) take responsibility and if they just do (rather than think too much). You can make a few mistakes, but I like the way he played today.”

The arrival of Brennan Johnson in January for a then-club record transfer fee of £35million put Drakes-Thomas’ first-team prospects on hold, while Evann Guessand’s arrival from Aston Villa on loan further set his chances back.

There had been a sense at the club that he would debut last season. This year he may prove to be Palace’s breakthrough player, but that is unlikely to be as a regular in the first team.

Realistically, there is no space for any of the academy talent to make their mark at this stage. 

Goalkeeper Lucca Benetton is highly regarded but is 15. If he continues to stand out, he may step up to play under-21 football this season and he was part of the travelling squad for the Como Cup as Palace try hard to convince him that he should stay at the club as one of their brightest talents.

Palace will hope that holding onto Drakes-Thomas despite interest elsewhere, combined with minutes as he develops, highlights a pathway for others. They have lost several academy players to other clubs in recent seasons, including forward Jesse Derry and the more highly-regarded midfielder Reggie Watson, both to Chelsea.

Not all of those who have been left were considered to be highly likely future first-team players, but Palace’s only realistic way to compete with bigger clubs is to show a future in the senior setup sooner.

Under new manager Pierre Sage, who prefers his No 10s to move the ball wider, more quickly, Drakes-Thomas should benefit. He is naturally more suited to the role of a traditional winger but demonstrated in the under-21s and those fleeting senior appearances that he is adaptable.

With Palace in the Europa League this season and that guaranteeing at least eight league-phase games, he stands a chance of being given further chances to impress. The most important thing is that he is not stunted by a lack of games at any level and he still plays regularly for the under-21s.

Drakes-Thomas will benefit from being a more established part of the first team setup — learning, improving and becoming a more rounded player.