Palace boss Hodgson delivers Rak-Sakyi verdict after Charlton loanee earns EFL Young Player of the Season nomination

BY ANDREW MCSTEEN

Roy Hodgson says Jesurun Rak-Sakyi should be coming back to Crystal Palace with his confidence ‘sky-high’ after his season-long loan with Charlton Athletic.

The 20-year-old has scored 13 goals and recorded six assists in League One after making the season-long loan switch to The Valley.

Rak-Sakyi has been nominated for EFL Young Player of the Season along with Ipswich Town midfielder Cameron Humphreys and Plymouth Argyle’s Bali Mumba.

And Hodgson was full of praise for the youngster, who he moved up to first-team training and matchday squads towards the end of his his first spell in charge of Palace.

“It’s fantastic,” Hodgson explained about the award nomination. “He’s a charming boy – there’s no doubt about that.

“Everyone took to him when he came into the first team squad and he went about his business in a very professional, quiet way.

“We could obviously see that we were dealing with a talent – this was a very skilful player who was meant to be on the football field. Even stepping up from the U23s [at the time] to first-team football, he handled it very, very well.”

Rak-Sakyi is one of a number of Eagles players out on loan across the English, Scottish and Belgian leagues this season.

The Southwark-born winger was signed by Ben Garner but has kicked on under Dean Holden since he replaced the former Palace first-team coach at Charlton in December.

“I was delighted when I saw that he [Rak-Sakyi] had gone to a club like Charlton,” added Hodgson. 

“It’s a big club which has fallen on hard times for a club of that size, but still a big club. For him to do so well and get that accolade and that nomination is great for him, but it’s also great for Crystal Palace.

“Loans can go either way – sometimes they can really help you. A player goes on loan and can come back a stronger, better player. But loans can sometimes deflate players because they look forward to getting the chance, but they go on loan and don’t get the chance. If anything, they come back with their confidence dented.

“But Jes should be coming back with his confidence sky-high and joining a lot of other very talented players we have in the U21s at the moment. The club is in a very healthy position today and certainly in a very different position in terms of health with players than it was two years ago when I left.”