Top Crystal Palace prospect on how he coped with nerves on first start in 1-0 win over Manchester United

BY ANDREW MCSTEEN

Crystal Palace academy winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has revealed he put nerves behind him as he made his first professional career start on Sunday, against Manchester United.

Palace boss Patrick Vieira had been promising for the past few weeks that he would give game time to Rak-Sakyi, or fellow academy graduate Tayo Adaramola, in one of the final four Premier League games of the season, but with one game left, they were still waiting.

Southwark-born Rak-Sakyi started against the Red Devils on the right wing.

“I found out just before kick-off, about an hour before,” said Rak-Sakyi to the South London Press about when he found out he would be in Palace’s starting 11.

“When I saw that I was a bit nervous. But, at the same time, all the lads were helping me, just telling me to be confident, so it was really good from them.

“The majority of them were just saying be confident because I got here for a reason, so I shouldn’t change my game. I should just play how I’ve been playing and I’ll be alright.

“It’s an incredible feeling [to start]. I was really comfortable. As the game went on I started to  grow my confidence and, yeah, it was really good.”

Rak-Sakyi featured for 67 minutes before he was replaced by Cheikhou Kouyate.

It marked a nice bookend to the season for the former Chelsea academy player, who had made his debut in the opening game of the season, away at his former club, when he came on as a 76th minute sub for Jairo Riedewald.

The former Blues youngster was named Crystal Palace’s U23 Player of the Season at their recent awards night.

“I don’t complain if I don’t get a start, but I’m always ready for when I need to be called upon,” said Rak-Sakyi. “I’ve worked my socks off for the U23s – week in, week out – and I’m just happy enough that I got the chance today.

“We wanted a clean sheet and we wanted to keep performing well here, because the fans deserve it. It was just a great performance by the team.”

Rak-Sakyi has impressed for the U23 side, finishing as joint top-scorer in Premier League 2 on 18 goals in 25 appearances and he was nominated for their Player of the Season award, won by Manchester City’s James McAtee.

“It’s incredible,” said Rak-Sakyi about the nomination. “Every day that we train together, we play together, we want each other to do well and I’m just happy that my team-mates have been supporting me, helping me throughout every day and it’s been amazing.

“Shaun Derry and Paddy McCarthy [U23 coaches] have been supporting me throughout my time at Palace. It’s been massive.

“All the other coaches as well, like the SSC (Sports Strength and Conditioning) coaches and all the medical team, everyone’s just been supporting me.

“I am just grateful for each and every one of them.”

Rak-Sakyi scored on his England U20 debut in September.

Now a regular at Palace first-team training, which takes place across the road from the academy training ground in Beckenham, Rak-Sakyi also credits Vieira with key aspects of his ongoing development.

“To be confident,” he responds twhen asked what he has learned from the French World Cup Winner.

“That we shouldn’t change our games when we’re coming over. We should just train how we train across the road and that will just make us better and build more confidence as a team.

“I just like to be myself. Of course, I watch a lot of the top Premier League wingers right now, but I just try to base my game on myself and just express myself in the way I know I’ve been growing up and I’ve been playing.”

With this season finished, Rak-Sakyi is now looking forward to next.

“My hopes are just to do better than I done this season,” he said. “Just building on every season – bigger and better things. Hopefully I’ll get more chances and more enjoyable moments like this.”