Jes Rak-Sakyi on fast track to success after Charlton loan….but Palace prospect’s car shows he is not focused on celebrity trappings

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi may have been eye-catching with his performances on the pitch for Charlton Athletic this season but the Crystal Palace winger keeps a low profile off it.

The 20-year-old was voted Player of the Year by his team-mates and also by supporters at the Addicks’ end-of-season awards on Sunday.

Rak-Sakyi has 25 goal involvements during his season-long loan stay in SE7 – scoring 15 and assisting 10 – and will make one final appearance at Cheltenham Town tomorrow before the League One season ends.

Addicks boss Dean Holden has been glowing in his praise for the former England U20 international and endorsed his mentality.

“There could’ve been a couple of people up for the (main) awards – Miles (Leaburn) being one of them in his first senior season with the way he has led the line and the goals he has scored,” he told the South London Press. “But I wasn’t surprised to see Jes win it. He is really well-respected by the players, and the fans love watching him play.

“He’s got his head switched on. He just loves football. It sounds ridiculous but he drives a really old car – he’s not interested in the flashings of being a professional footballer. He wants to be the best player he can be.

“He has got the ability to go to the top level, I’ve got no doubt about that. I’ve seen players move for big money previously at Bristol City and Stoke. He has got the potential to get right to the top and the attitude and temperament to do it.

“Opportunity is going to be the key thing next season. Do Crystal Palace keep hold of him or do they loan him again to a higher division?

“He comes from a great family.

“I still can’t believe I left him out for my first two games (in charge)!

“I’d looked at the team and I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare when I knew I was in for the job.

“I spent every minute prepping and speaking to people about how the team had operated this season – where their strengths and weaknesses were. I’d heard they had been shipping too many goals so it was a case of ‘can we get three centre-backs on the pitch?’ It still gave us three in midfield, that gives you a bit more energy there, otherwise we might be a little too wide open. And I do like the idea of two strikers on the pitch.

“It was where does Jes fit into that 3-5-2? In the first game at home to Peterborough we drew 1-1, Sean Clare ran the length of the pitch, for us to win it 2-1, and put it the wrong side of the post.

“We went to Oxford on the Tuesday and were terrible in the first half. I went to 4-3-3, made three subs and Jes came on. Straight from that moment he has been one of the first names on the teamsheet.”

Rak-Sakyi was also shortlisted for League One’s Player of the Year but missed out to Plymouth’s Bali Mumba.

The Southwark-born wideman did not go knocking on Holden’s door after not being selected.

“He was just the best player in training,” explained the Addicks manager when asked about Rak-Sakyi’s reaction. “His performance at Oxford left me going ‘okay, let’s have a look at that’. We went to Portsmouth the following game and had a really strong win.

“Players can come and knock on my door – it is an open-door policy and I speak to them every day. But only come and knock on the door if you’re doing the business – don’t come knocking if you’ve not been training properly or not been the best team-mate around the place.

“Only come and look me in the eye if you’re doing your bit of the bargain. Jes just got on with his training – he got in the team and stayed in the team.”

Holden has a decision to make for tomorrow’s fixture with captain George Dobson on 14 bookings.

If the former Sunderland and AFC Wimbledon midfielder is booked then he will have to serve a three-match ban which will carry over into the 2023-24 season.

“I’ve not decided yet,” said Holden, when asked about whether he will select Dobson.

PICTURE: FOCUS IMAGES/CAFC