With King, Benamar and Drakes-Thomas all making their senior debuts from the start; Rodney starting only his second first-team match, and doing so on a European stage; and Casey available from the bench after debuting last week at Shelbourne, fans eager to meet the next generation in red and blue can get to know them a little bit before the match kicks off – below!
Meet the Academy talents starting & featuring in tonight's European team!
Five of Crystal Palace’s Academy talents – George King, Dean Benamar, Kaden Rodney, Joél Drakes-Thomas, and Benji Casey – have been named in the matchday squad for our third and final home league phase match in the UEFA Conference League against Finnish league winners KuPS Kuopio this evening (20:00 GMT).
Dean Benamar – Wing-back
D.o.B.: 31 May 2008 (aged 17)
A left-footer with real power and pace, Dean Benamar is just as happy charging forward as he is locking things down defensively. He joined Palace at Under-14s and has wasted little time making his mark, progressing rapidly through the Academy ranks.
Benamar was part of Joe Antonelli’s U15s side that lifted the National Floodlit Cup in 2022/23, defeating Stoke City in the final after also overcoming Arsenal in the regional stage. That winning mentality has stayed with him ever since.
In July 2024, he signed his scholarship ahead of the 2024/25 season and quickly became an important figure for the U18s.
After being named on the bench for the opening game against Tottenham Hotspur, he made his debut against Birmingham City three matches later – marking the occasion with an assist and a clean sheet. His first goal followed in October against Leicester City, and by January he had already registered an impressive four assists in 13 appearances across all competitions.
Those performances earned him international recognition. In February 2025, Benamar received his first call-up to England U17s, debuting in a narrow 3-2 win over the Netherlands.
Three days later, on his first start, he opened the scoring directly from a corner in a dominant 4-0 victory. Further call-ups followed, as he helped England qualify for the UEFA European U17 Championship and went on to play every minute of the group stage that summer.
Benamar’s rise continued at club level too. He made his U21s debut in April 2025 against Chelsea before signing his first professional contract that summer.
Now a fully-fledged member of Darren Powell’s U21s squad, he featured prominently in pre-season and returned from injury to play an important role in statement Premier League International Cup wins over Juventus and FC Nordsjaelland – completing the full 90 minutes in the latter.
He has also continued to impress for the U18s when called upon, starring in the 3-0 FA Youth Cup win over Bradford City under the Selhurst Park lights and providing two assists in the final game of 2025 against Norwich City on Saturday (December 17th).
Now Benamar is set to make his senior debut tonight, another exciting milestone in his rapid rise through the Palace ranks. Go and smash it Deano!
See Dean Benamar at Selhurst Park in the Youth Cup third round win over Bradford, below!
George King – Centre-back
D.o.B.: 20 March 2007 (aged 18)
Versatile, composed, and ever more influential, lifelong Palace supporter George King is a centre-back with an eye for attacking moments and a knack for making an impact at both ends of the pitch.
Comfortable at the back or stepping into a defensive midfield role, King combines defensive solidity with a penchant for marauding runs, lofted passes in behind, and causing chaos in the opposition box.
King joined Palace early and quickly made his mark. He was part of the U15s side that finished runners-up in the National Floodlit Cup in 2021/22, before progressing through the age groups and signing his scholarship ahead of the 2023/24 season.
His U18 career took off immediately. King scored his first goal against Liverpool, added a dramatic 94th-minute winner against Fulham, and netted crucial goals in the FA Youth Cup and high-scoring league fixtures, finishing the season with six goals and two assists from 31 appearances.
That combination of defensive responsibility and attacking threat marked him as one to watch.
King made the step up to the U21s in February 2025, debuting in a 2-0 win at West Brom. Over the 2024/25 season, he featured eight times for the U21s while continuing to shine at U18 level, captaining the side on occasion
The 2025/26 season has seen King bounce back from injury in style, returning to the U21s for a 3-1 EFL Trophy defeat to AFC Wimbledon before completing a full 90 minutes in the 3-1 win over Birmingham City, where he created a beautiful goal for Zach Marsh with a surging run capped off by a perfectly weighted pass
King also found the net in the 5-2 EFL Trophy defeat to Stevenage and added another in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa, demonstrating his knack for not only exquisitely timed headers but also crucial contributions in attack
In the Premier League International Cup, King has continued to impress, assisting three goals in wins over Juventus and FC Nordsjaelland with intelligent flick-ons and pinpoint lofted passes that unlock defences, proving that his influence extends far beyond his defensive duties.
Tonight, he takes to the pitch to mark his senior debut – the stuff dreams are made of, especially for a lifelong Palace fan. Go well, Kingy!
Kaden Rodney – Midfielder
D.o.B.: 7th October 2004 (aged 21)
Rodney has long been one to watch at Palace, regularly playing above his age group and earning praise from coaches as the “Rolls-Royce” of midfielders. Known for his versatility, he can slot in defensively at centre-back or right-back, but wherever he plays, his work-rate, intelligence, and composure always stands out.
Rodney’s rise through the Academy has been steady and impressive. He signed his first professional contract in October 2021 and quickly began featuring for England U18s.
He made his first-team debut in August 2022 under Patrick Viera, starting as a left-back in a 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Oxford United, and continued to train regularly with the first team while balancing U21 and U18 duties.
Over the last few years, Rodney has built a reputation as a reliable, attacking-minded midfielder.
He scored a stunning goal in a 5-0 win over Brighton U18s and has been involved in key moments for Powell’s U21s, including the Premier League International Cup triumph against Jong PSV and wins over Leeds and Stevenage this season – matches in which he netted.
Always a presence in the squad, Rodney combines technical skill, tactical awareness, and defensive commitment – a true all-rounder in every sense of the word. It’s only Kaden’s second first-team start, but this time he takes to the pitch on a European stage.
Joél Drakes-Thomas – Forward
D.o.B.: 9th June 2009 (aged 16)
A Palace player since the age of six, Drakes-Thomas has impressed at every stage of the Academy, often playing up an age group.
Making his U18 debut in October 2024, he quickly made an impact, scoring his first goal in a dramatic 4-2 comeback against Chelsea and racking up a hat-trick of assists in a 4-1 win over Aston Villa.
Drakes-Thomas has also caught the eye internationally. In February 2025, he featured for England U16s in the UEFA Development Tournament, creating two assists in three matches.
By April, he had broken into Powell’s U21s, showing the pace, direct running, and creativity that make him a constant threat down the flank.
Now primarily operating as an attacking wing-back, Drakes-Thomas combines relentless energy with intelligent movement and pinpoint crossing.
He’s been influential in crucial matches this season, including the Premier League International Cup win over FC Nordsjaelland, top-of-the-table U18 victories, and Youth Cup success at Selhurst.
Drakes-Thomas joined Benji Casey in the travelling squad for the classy 3-0 UEFA Conference League victory over Shelbourne FC.
Tonight, Drakes-Thomas becomes the club’s fourth-youngest competitive player of all time, behind John Bostock, the Academy’s own Alex Wynter, and Phil Hoadley.
Benji Casey – Forward
D.o.B.: 4th February 2008 (aged 17)
A senior debutant last week at Shelbourne, Casey begins tonight's match among the substitutes again, after an electric start to the 2025/26 season.
Like Drakes-Thomas, the forward has been part of the club for most of his life, joining at Under-9 level and rising quickly through the Academy. He was an important figure in Joe Antonelli’s U15 side that lifted the National Floodlit Cup, scoring in both the regional final against Arsenal and the 3–1 final win over Stoke City.
Casey stepped into U18 football in March 2024, debuting in a Premier League Cup semi-final against Manchester United. His first U18 goal arrived a week later versus Arsenal, followed swiftly by a brace against Norwich.
He finished that season with seven goals in just 11 appearances, and after signing his scholarship in July 2024, he delivered a strong first full campaign: 12 goals, one assist, and the distinction of being the only player to feature in all 28 matches across all competitions.
This season has been nothing short of explosive. Casey leads the entire U18 Premier League – across both regional divisions – with 12 goals, adding three assists to give him 15 direct goal contributions in league play alone.
Across all competitions he has 15 goals and five assists, including back-to-back hat-tricks against Tottenham and Ipswich. His form earned him a deserved England U18s call-up, where he provided a smart cut-back assist for Reigan Heskey in a 2–2 draw with France.
Naturally, the next step came with the U21s. After several substitute appearances he made his first start in a 2–0 Premier League 2 win away at Aston Villa on Halloween, and soon established himself further, starting three of the final four competitive U21 matches of 2025.
His maiden goal for the side arrived in the International Cup against Juventus – a composed finish after George King’s knock-back at the far post.
Casey ended the year with another standout moment, racing in behind to lift the ball over the Nordsjaelland ‘keeper and seal a 2–0 win in the U21s’ final match of 2025.
Speaking afterwards, he reflected on the significance of the milestone, saying he had “kept believing” through limited minutes and was “really happy” to finally see the hard work rewarded.
Then, last week, it was rewarded once more, with the fantastic feat of a first-team debut on the European stage. Let's hope for many more appearances – and goals – to come!