In the summer, Crystal Palace made a shift in recruitment, bringing in a young manager in Patrick Viera and focusing on bringing in young, exciting talent from other leagues, including the Championship. One of the players brought in was 19-year-old French midfielder Michael Olise.
Olise made the move to London from Reading after the former activated his release clause of around £8 million. The young Frenchman was highly rated going into the summer window and looked set for a move due to his low release clause. The midfielder was being watched by a number of top clubs – including Chelsea, Arsenal and Leeds United – but it was Palace who made the move for the player.
Since Olise arrived at Selhurst Park
Since arriving, Olise started the season with an injury and has only managed three Premier League appearances to date. It was in his third appearance that Palace fans got to see a glimpse of what the youngster can do.
Palace, trailing 2-0 to Leicester City, introduced Olise in the 53rd minute – and he made a real impact – leading his team to recover and get a 2-2 draw. The Frenchman scored the first goal of the comeback, volleying past Leicester keeper, Kasper Schmeichel.
19 - Aged 19 years and 295 days, Michael Olise is the first teenager to score for Crystal Palace in the Premier League since Clinton Morrison in May 1998 (18 v Sheffield Wednesday). Verve. pic.twitter.com/q6MbUUXWXW
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 3, 2021
Olise, who can play anywhere across central and the left side of midfield, created a real spark for Palace that dragged them back into the game, with Jeffrey Schlupp eventually scoring the equaliser.
Michael Olise role at Palace
The teenager came up through the ranks of Manchester City and Chelsea before landing at Reading. With this added pedigree, he could be the ideal player for Viera.
Viera is attempting to get Palace playing more efficient passing football that involves intelligent short passes, which allows players to move into space quickly and continually create space.
When Olise came on, he opened up play and helped allow this type of football to transpire on the pitch, eventually leading to his goal.
One of the players biggest strengths is picking out passes to bring players forward, or slot players in, making him perfect for this style of play.
During the Leicester game, we saw the real potential of Olise; if can he stay fit and cement his place, he could be a real integral part of what could be an exciting season for Eagles fans, as they welcome this new dawn at the club.