Palace striker reveals what made it easy to decide on transfer deadline day switch

Odsonne Edouard says that he did not hesitate when Patrick Vieira asked him to join Crystal Palace in the summer.

The French forward joined the South Londoners from Celtic on deadline day for a fee in the region of £14million and signed a four-year deal.

Edouard, 23, scored twice on his debut after coming on as a sub against Tottenham and added another to his tally away at Arsenal.

Asked about what attracted him to join Crystal Palace, Edouard told PLP: “It’s the project – they have big ambitions. A lot of new players came in the last transfer window, and I knew the team before because I watched a lot of Premier League games, so I felt excited about the project and about the team.

“I have had a good start, but I can do better. I need to keep working to score more goals, give some assists and help the team.

“I am happy here. The guys have made me feel at home here – they welcomed me very well. It’s been good for me.”

Speaking on the influence of playing under Vieira, Edouard, who has been capped by his country at U21 level, said: “He is a big legend in France, so when he told me that he wanted me, I came to the club – I didn’t hesitate. I really wanted to work with him.

“He was a big player before, and he’s a big legend in France, so when he tells you something, you have to do it.

“When he tells you, for example, to ‘make this run’, you have to make this run because he was a big player, and you have to listen to everything.”

Having started the previous five games in succession, Edouard has seamlessly adapted to life at Palace. He has even demonstrated his versatility by playing the last two games at left-wing.

“It’s very good,” said Edouard on playing alongside Wilfried Zaha. “I watched him a lot because I liked his skills, so now that I play with him and see him every day, it’s better for me. I can learn from him, from Jordan [Ayew], from Christian [Benteke] and from every player – I learn every day.”

Reflecting on last weekend’s victory at Manchester City, Edouard said: “It was a very good result for the team. We are all happy about the game, but now we have to focus on the next game, and we have to work hard.

“It gives us a lot of confidence because we played against one of the best teams in the world. Going to City, not conceding a goal and scoring two goals is great for the confidence, and it will help a lot for the next few games.”

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s game against Wolves, the forward added: “It’s going to be a tough game – it’s a good team. We will work hard this week for this game, and hopefully we win this one.”