The 19-year-old was presented with his award at half-time of the Men's senior fixture against Everton, having enjoyed an outstanding first full campaign at U21 level, becoming a key figure in Darren Powell’s side by featuring in all but one of the 23 matches he was available for, while also showing impressive determination to overcome injury setbacks.
George King wins Under-21s Player of the Season award
Crystal Palace Under-21s defender George King has won the 2025/26 U21 Player of the Season award.
King made a significant impact at both ends of the pitch, scoring three goals – including decisive strikes in Premier League 2 victories over Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers – while also contributing four assists.
Among those assists were clever flick-ons and pinpoint lofted passes, with the latter setting up goals for Benji Casey and Dean Benamar against Nordsjaelland and Liverpool respectively.
Defensively, King played an equally important role. He helped the side keep four clean sheets and produced crucial goal-line clearances in International Cup victories over Juventus and Borussia Mönchengladbach to help the young Eagles top their group.
He repeated that defensive heroism with a vital goal-line block in extra-time of the PL2 Round of 16 win over Liverpool.
His impressive performances were rewarded with a senior debut in the 2-2 draw with KuPS in the league phase of the UEFA Conference League, where he started and played 76 minutes. Following the match, Oliver Glasner praised the lifelong Palace supporter for a composed display full of consistency and defensive solidity.
King was also included in first-team matchday squads for the Premier League draw against Aston Villa and the FA Cup third-round tie against Macclesfield, while earning his first Republic of Ireland Under-19s call-up and debut.
King has been with the club since Under-12 level, consistently playing above his age group while progressing rapidly through the academy ranks.
U21s head coach Darren Powell said: “George has enjoyed massive growth and development in his first full season of U21s football and has been rewarded with a senior debut, which reflects our core objective of preparing and progressing players into the first team.”
Upon receiving the award, King said: “I’d like to thank all my teammates and the staff for their support throughout the season. They’ve all played a huge part in helping me get to this point, and I couldn’t have done it without them.”