‘Leadership and maturity’ – Patrick Vieira praises Crystal Palace academy defender

Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira has praised the leadership skills of academy defender Kofi Balmer.

Balmer, 22, was named on the bench by the French World Cup winner in the Premier League for games against Leicester, Wolves and Everton this season.

The centre-back was called up to the Northern Ireland squad by Ian Baraclough for their Nations League games against Kosovo and Greece.

Balmer played just under half an hour in Palace’s 2-2 friendly draw with Turkish side Trabzonspor during the World Cup break.

“He looked really calm and really composed on the ball,” Vieira said to Northern Ireland’s official YouTube channel of Balmer.

“He’s got this kind of leadership and maturity – he’s playing like he is 28 or 29 years old.

“His calmness as a centre-back, because of how comfortable he is on the ball and the way we want to play the game, [means] he is spending a lot of time with the team.

“He has been impressive. Hopefully, he will keep developing like that, and we will see how far he can go.

“He wants to improve and challenge himself, and he is a lovely kid.”

Balmer first played men’s football at the age of 16, making his debut for Ballymena United in 2017.

He would go on to make 80 appearances for the Northern Irish Premiership side before making a move to league rivals Larne.

Balmer spent a season with Larne, helping them qualify for the Europa Conference League, before joining Palace in August.

“It’s a strength,” Vieira said of Balmer’s experience in men’s football.

“Starting men’s football at this age gave him the confidence and belief to step up and to believe in himself.

“He’s been doing really well. Hopefully, he can go further, and why not play in our first team.”