From ‘keepers to forwards, the club’s pathway continues to shine brightly on the international stage.
International recognition for Palace’s younger age groups
With the Under-21s’ competitive fixtures now complete and the Under-18s preparing for their final outing of 2025 against Norwich this Saturday, attention turns to the younger age groups – where several Crystal Palace prospects have been rewarded with international call-ups in recent weeks.
Lucca Benetton has capped off a strong spell of form with an invitation to the England Men’s Goalkeeping Camp at St George’s Park, held from Sunday 7th to Tuesday 9th December.
Designed for the country’s most promising 17–19-year-old shot-stoppers, the camp aims to identify, inspire and develop the next generation of England ‘keepers and the coaches who work with them.
It has been a memorable few weeks for Benetton. The U16s No. 1 featured on the bench for both the top-of-the-table clash against Southampton at the Academy and the FA Youth Cup tie against Bradford at Selhurst Park.
Internationally, he has also gained valuable experience, travelling to Sedi in Turkiye for England U16s’ fixtures against Wales, Turkiye and Portugal – impressively saving Rafael Cabral’s penalty in the narrow 2–1 defeat to Portugal.
Earlier in the season, Benetton took part in the young Lions double-header against Italy in Rome. He started the opening match, a tight 2–1 loss, before returning to the bench for the second fixture as England responded with a 2–1 win courtesy of goals from Oscar Johnson and Joshua Abe.
Prolific U16s striker Mylo Bernard has also earned international recognition, selected for England’s U16 camp at St George’s Park from Saturday 13th to Thursday 18th December.
Bernard has already begun making his mark at U18 level, scoring just four minutes into his debut against Leicester City. After David Angibeaud’s press forced a turnover, Bernard raced through one-on-one and coolly finished into the far corner to announce himself in style.
Having scored close to 30 goals for the U16s last season, Bernard’s movement and explosive runs in behind echo the profile of current U21 forward Benji Casey.
His impressive form earned him consecutive U18 starts – including a meeting with West Ham, where he was denied early on by the ‘keeper.
He has continued to be involved in matchday squads, appearing as a late substitute in both the 4–0 Premier League Cup win over Chelsea and the 3–0 FA Youth Cup victory against Bradford. The latter saw him make his Selhurst Park debut.
U15 midfielder Jashaun Christmas, meanwhile, has been called up to Trinidad and Tobago’s U17 training camp, which runs from 15th to 31st December. The camp forms part of their preparation for the CONCACAF U17 World Cup Qualifiers, scheduled for 3rd to 12th February 2026.
Christmas is a technically gifted, attack-minded midfielder. Though slight in stature, he carries a constant goal threat and is a reliable source of creativity in the middle of the pitch – qualities that have stood out throughout his rapid Academy progression.
Elsewhere in the younger age groups, ‘keeper Rosen Modev linked up with the Bulgarian U16 national team for a training camp and a pair of friendly fixtures in Hungary at the end of November.
The experience provided another valuable step in the development of a player who has impressed consistently at Academy level.