CRYSTAL PALACE YOUNGSTER JAKE O’BRIEN SET FOR RETURN TO RWDM
HLN are reporting that RWDM are set to bring Jake O’Brien back to the club on loan. The 22-year-old was part of the side that won the Belgian second tier last season and was considered a key player by the clubs staff. In 31 games for the side he also managed to score 31 goals. O’Brien has had loan spells with Cork City and Swindon Town, but has yet to make an appearance for the Crystal Palace first team. At RWDM, he will now play at the highest level of football during his young career to date.
O’Brien, who plays as a central defender, has also made 11 appearances for the Irish U21 side. It is expected that the loan will be for just one season, without a purchase option.
RWDM are linked to Crystal Palace through their majority investor John Textor, who caused a large amount of controversy amongst the RWDM fanbase when he announced that he would take over as President. Fans called for disruption to the early season games in protest, and it remains to be seen how this will play out with the 2023/2024 campaign set to begin in just over a weeks time.
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Under Patrick Vieira, the Eagles were heading for almost certain relegation last season, however, Hodgson’s arrival was like a breath of fresh air and they never looked back.
Essentially the same players that had underperformed for the Frenchman found another level under the former England coach.
Hodgson remains in charge for this season, but one player that appears unlikely to be able to penetrate the first-team is Jake O’Brien.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the defender is close to sealing another loan move to RWD Molenbeek, after he starred there during 2022/23.
At 22 years of age, he still has the majority of his football career ahead of him, and though it might be seen as a negative that he can’t get into the Palace side at present, getting him regular minutes elsewhere rather than either sitting on the bench or playing for the youth or reserve sides, will surely be beneficial for all in the long run.
The club will almost certainly keep an eye on his development, and in 12 month’s time, if he’s proved himself at Molenbeek again, it might be the right time for the Eagles to take the plunge.
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Roy Hodgson expects injured Michael Olise to miss the start of the new season.
The young star suffered a tear to his hamstring while playing for France at last month’s Under-21s Euros, and has since undergone surgery.
It’s a blow for both player and club, with Olise’s best football last season coming once Hodgson returned caretaker manager for Crystal Palace’s final ten games of the season.
“We’ve known since the injury that it’s going to take a while for him to get fit again”, Hodgson revealed. “It was a serious injury which required an operation. He’s well into his rehabilitation but it’s going to take a bit longer for him to recover.
“At the moment we’re just hoping that the rehabilitation will go well and that we get him back as quickly as possible. But we certainly we won’t be seeing him for a period of time.”
Having lost to Barnet and drawn 2-2 with Danish side Brondby, Palace face Crawley Town in their latest pre-season friendly on Wednesday evening. The levels then ramp up a notch with a match against Watford on Saturday.
Palace then head to the USA, where they face Colombia’s Millonarios, then Sevilla and finally Lyon in three final high-profile friendlies.
“Enormously difficult”, Hodgson said of the tour of America. “We’ve got four games to really prepare what I’m thinking will be the team which will take us through the league season. That will start when we play Watford on Saturday in a behind-closed-doors game.
“Those last three games, I’m expecting to test out the players that are going to be testing out the team for the league.”
One player certain to feature heavily for Palace next season is Eberechi Eze, who excelled under Hodgson, earning his England debut in last month’s 4-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Malta.
“I was really delighted for him, and happy also that Gareth [Southgate] and Steve [Holland] thought he was the right man”, Hodgson said.
“I think he fully deserved it after his performances at the end of last year in particular. I thought his debut was a good one, so it’s good to have another England international in our ranks.”
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