Selhurst Park isn’t just a Premier League football ground, but the heart of a vibrant and diverse community, stretching back a century since Palace’s arrival in 1924. Find out more about the incredible history of Selhurst Park.

100 Years of Selhurst Park

## South London and Proud

> Exciting teenage talent Esse joined Palace in January 2025 on a five-and-a-half-year contract, after two years starring in the Championship with Millwall.

Esse first joined Millwall’s academy at the age of just nine-years-old back in 2014, having previously trialled with Chelsea. The winger had been with the Lions for over a decade, until his switch across South London to Palace.

Born in Lambeth and raised in nearby Peckham and Bermondsey, Esse was surrounded by talented footballers. 

While honing his craft, he attended St Thomas the Apostle College for five years, whose alumni includes plenty of professional footballers: Ademola Lookman, Nigel Quashie, Nyron Nosworthy and Danny Haynes.

Despite joining Palace at just 19-years-old, Esse already has over two years of senior football under his belt, starting all but one of Millwall’s Championship matches in 2024/25 before his move.

A landmark moment in his fledging career arrived on the opening day of 2023/24: only minutes after entering the action from the bench away at Middlesbrough, Esse curled home a stunning first-time effort into the top corner to win the match.

Esse has also already left his mark on the international scene: an England Under-18 debut came back in March 2023, the winger appearing in a 2-1 win over Croatia.

By September of that year, Esse had been promoted to the Under-19s side and, just 18 months later, had managed to score at three different levels of youth international football.

The highlight was a stunning individual effort in a 4-0 win over Germany for the Under-20s in the Euro Elite League, a goal which summed up his natural ability: collecting the ball on the edge of the area, evading challenges, before managing to curl the ball into the far corner.

Moments of this ilk will bring the Selhurst Park faithful to their feet, hopefully for a long time to come.

Esse

Instagram

Twitter

Romain Esse's First Training Session | CCTV

Romain Esse's First Day | BTS

Goals

Appearances

Season

Games

Palace return to their home turf against Brentford, after putting together back-to-back wins on the road at Leicester and West Ham. With the Bees a point and a place above Glasner's side in the table, a win would send Palace up to 11th.

As well as talking about how far his side had come since the two teams last met, Glasner also discussed Brentford's wider approach, the form of Jean-Philippe Mateta and the recent arrival of Romain Esse. Check out all the key quotes right here...

- [**Read Glasner’s pre-match team news update**](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/first-team/glasner-team-news-crystal-palace-brentford-february-2025/)
- [**Listen to live to audio commentary on Palace TV+**](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)

Pre-match Press Conference Brentford (H)

#### "We are a different team"

It \[the last meeting between Palace and Brentford\] was the first game of the season. Many players just spent 10 days in training. 

Some players were not here. And I think we are a different team right now, in our physicality, in our way of how we play. But that doesn't mean automatically that we will win the game, because Brentford are doing really well at the moment. We know that they have a lot of wins at home.

Just one away win, but it was a very impressive 5-0 win at Southampton. And they have a lot of pace in their attack, with Kevin Schade, with Bryan Mbeumo. 

Also, they have a very good strategy with Thomas Frank. I really have a lot of respect for him. He's doing a great job at Brentford. We watched that first game again, but also their last games, and we have tried to find the right solutions.

#### "JP has got the rewards of his hard work"

Yes he \[JP Mateta\] is back. It was just human that after having such a great end of last season, a very short time off, and then preparing for the Olympic tournament for your country, that would happen.

He was away weeks for the Olympics, lost the final and then had to come back four days before the start of the Premier League. 

No-one could be ready for the next competition, it's just human - even when we don't want it to be like this. It took him time. I think I benched him two or three times and he always stayed positive. He was always a good guy and hard-working.

We supported him like we do with every single player. And now he gets the reward, and we as a team, get the reward. So, yes, I think he's back.

#### “We have confidence, it is time to win at home"

I expect a very intense game against Brentford. They're very, very dangerous in transition with their pace. So they have a clear \[defensive\] structure, but they also sometimes press very hard.

They score many goals from their high press. They score many goals from low transition, because either they press very hard or they go back sometimes with all the 11 players in their own box, and then using their pace and the space they find.

So you have to find a very good balance. We think that we've found some weaknesses we want to exploit. We want to the game to fit to our style. And then it's who gets it better down on the pitch, because I think Thomas Frank will be preparing in the same way.

Then it's up to the players on the pitch. But of course we have confidence with the last results, with the performances. And it's time to win at home.

#### "Romain is a great guy"

I think the club did a great job with signing Romain Esse. He's got a great profile, great guy, everything we were looking for. 

Now it's our job to work with him, to integrate him. It's the first time he will be in the squad with us. He's doing really well in training. These are the players we're looking for.

### Match Details

- Sunday, 26th January
- 14:00 GMT
- Premier League
- Selhurst Park
- Live audio commentary on [Palace TV+](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)

Manager Oliver Glasner says Crystal Palace are a different force from the side that lost at Brentford on the opening day of the season - ahead of the return fixture on Sunday.

Brentford, Mateta & Esse: Key quotes from Glasner's press conference

Crystal Palace

Premier League

West Ham United

Last Match

Brentford

Next Match

24/25 Training & Travel

Since joining Palace from Scottish Championship side Airdrionians in the summer of 2023, Devenny has progressed rapidly through the ranks and made his senior international debut for Northern Ireland last November. Here he tells his story in his own words. 

"I’m grateful for the contract–and it’s time to kick on," he said. "I come off the training pitch here every day having learned something new. Being able to train with such great players...all the boys want the best for me, which is all anyone can ask."

Our season-long celebration of 100 years of Selhurst Park also continues in the Crystal Palace v Brentford matchday programme. Remember to collect all 19 Premier League issues this season to create your own piece of Selhurst Park history!

Each programme this season comes with a unique, illustrated front cover marking a moment in Selhurst Park's 100-year history. This edition's cover celebrates the 1973 arrival of one of the most important managers in Palace history, Malcolm Allison.

Plus, this edition has all your regular favourites: Doc Brown, Macca, Oliver Glasner, Marc Guéhi and more...

Fresh from penning his new contract at the club, the Crystal Palace matchday programme sat down with Justin Devenny to reflect on a whirlwind last year and his journey from the Scottish lower leagues to the Premier League.

Read our Brentford programme: Exclusive from Devenny & much, much more...

After an outstanding last week both on and off the pitch – with three wins in the space of seven days, plus the arrival of Romain Esse from Millwall – excitement is building towards Sunday's match against Brentford in SE25.

The Eagles have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League matches and have won four of their last five in all competitions – so will approach their next capital clash, [for which limited tickets are still available](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/tickets/crystal-palace-brentford-ticket-details-january-2025/), with confidence.

**Check out the best photos from training this week below!**

### Match Details

- Crystal Palace v Brentford
- Sunday, 26th January
- 14:00 GMT
- Premier League
- Selhurst Park
- Live audio commentary on [Palace TV+](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)

The London derbies are coming thick and fast for Crystal Palace in early 2025, with their third already this calendar year coming on Sunday against Brentford at Selhurst Park.

First-team

First-team

Brentford, Mateta & Esse: Key quotes from Glasner's press conference

Read our Brentford programme: Exclusive from Devenny & much, much more...

Gallery: Palace prepare to host Brentford in SE25

24/25 Training & Travel

Latest Videos

U18 Match Highlights: Crystal Palace 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

The Full 90: Crystal Palace U18s v Tottenham Hotspur U18s | Palace TV+

Access All Over: Leicester AND West Ham (A)

Pre-match Press Conference Brentford (H)

Pre-match press conference: Tottenham (H)

Romain Esse's First Training Session | CCTV

21Romain
Esse

First-team

First-team

Brentford, Mateta & Esse: Key quotes from Glasner's press conference

Read our Brentford programme: Exclusive from Devenny & much, much more...

Gallery: Palace prepare to host Brentford in SE25

24/25 Training & Travel

Latest Videos

U18 Match Highlights: Crystal Palace 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

The Full 90: Crystal Palace U18s v Tottenham Hotspur U18s | Palace TV+

Access All Over: Leicester AND West Ham (A)

Pre-match Press Conference Brentford (H)

Pre-match press conference: Tottenham (H)

Romain Esse's First Training Session | CCTV

21RomainEsse

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Esse