Billy Eastwood: How Academy documentary helped confidence

Eastwood is a lifelong supporter who’s spent half his life with the club. His father, also a devout fan, passed away a few years after the play-off final, having watched his son compete in the Academy for a season.

Eastwood followed his father’s footsteps not just in following Palace, but also in becoming a goalkeeper. “I had no choice, to be honest,” he jokes. “I’ve always been a goalkeeper. I do love it, it was a great choice in the end.

“My dad could’ve been a professional – he had a trial here [Palace], but he didn’t go to it.

“In my second year at Palace he got unwell. He got to see a whole season of me here when I was younger, which is better than nothing. He was a typical dad: quiet on the sidelines, but in the car he’d say what I had done wrong and what I needed to improve on.

“He wasn’t hard on me, but always wanted to help me improve and be better and better at that age. He was very supportive during that time. He was a great dad.”

After his father’s passing Eastwood walked out in full goalkeeper kit – shin pads, gloves, et al – alongside Wayne Hennessey, and says the club allowed him to keep his mind focused on football.

He says now of his mother that “she’s done both roles”, and and that she “is amazing. She’s just so chilled and relaxed – she doesn’t force me to do anything, but she would push me and encourage me in anything I do, which is the best thing to do. She just supports me in everything.”

Supporters who’ve watched Channel 4 documentary Football Dreams: The Academy will know exactly what Eastwood means, as the young goalkeeper and his mother feature heavily in episode two.

That meant allowing a camera crew to film them for a season and giving several interviews throughout that period. Eastwood has a stutter, so initially felt apprehension about taking part, but now the documentary has aired says he relishes his involvement.

“I’m quite proud of it, because I have a stutter and it’s quite a big thing for me,” he explains. “I’ve never shied away from it, but me doing [the documentary] has relieved some sort of pressure.

“At the very start I was a bit hesitant, but my mum encouraged me, saying: ‘It would be great for you, it will boost your confidence and make you a better person in general. It would help your speaking skills in general.’ With mates it’s fine, but when you’re with random people in front of lights and a camera it’s quite a big thing.

“From when [filming] started to now, I feel like I’ve got more confident in my speaking skills. Just around the club, I feel like I’m having more relaxed conversations with people, whereas before it would just be a few short sentences.”

We start to wrap up this interview as Eastwood runs out of time pre-training. With a minute or two left, we ask if he has anything to add. He does – astutely for a 16-year-old, he wants to thank a coach.

“[Academy Goalkeeper Coach] Jordan Knight has played a massive role in my development,” Eastwood says. “He’s a very good coach and also just a great guy on and off the pitch. A big thing that’s not really appreciated is just being able to have a chat with him.

“I’m with Jordan at breakfast and lunch, as he’s a goalie coach I’m literally always with him. He, out of all the coaches, has been the most important and will make me a better person and a better goalie. I feel like I have to thank him for helping me get better and better each day.”

Football Dreams: The Academy is available in the UK (only) on All 4 on demand. You can watch it within the UK by clicking here.