Happy birthday, Maxence!: Lacroix on his love for South London

Speaking earlier this season, the Frenchman reflected on his relationship with the Crystal Palace supporters, love for the red of blue, and his hopes of representing France on the world's greatest stage this summer...

This interview was initially published in the Crystal Palace v Manchester United programme - you can buy previous issues of the matchday programme by clicking HERE.

It’s fair to say Maxence Lacroix has achieved a lot in his nine years as a professional. In fact, more specifically, he’s achieved a lot in just under two years at Crystal Palace.

Lacroix arrived in South London as a player with Champions League experience, a France youth international and someone who had built a strong reputation in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg.

But even knowing his undoubted quality, few could have predicted the impact he has had both on the defence, and the wider team, a model of consistency at the back.

When you watch this Palace team – and particularly that defensive trio at the back – week in, week out, you see a hunger for clean sheets.

It goes some way to explaining why Lacroix is often seen fist pumping and saluting the fans at the end of big victories this season.

Every win, every clean sheet, is to be savoured.

“My relationship with the fans I think is quite good,” Lacroix says as he begins to reflect on his time in South London so far.

“In my mind, when I first arrived, I always was thinking, it’s not only the actual team who I’m working with. It’s also the people around the team – and that includes the supporters.

“I have a lot of respect for them, for the people who follow us at every single game. So I think creating a good relationship with them and that [celebrating following wins] is a way of giving back what they give us.

“They always give us that extra energy.”

Indeed, it was Lacroix’s words that became one of the defining images of that glorious Saturday afternoon back in May 2025, when Palace wrote their greatest chapter, so far, in club history.

The tifo didn’t lie. Wembley did indeed shake and it was beautiful.

Understandably perhaps, many of the memories from that incredible day will be post-match, the celebrations, who you hugged and cried with when that full-time whistle went – and for many, who you wanted to be there to hug but weren’t able to.

Lacroix was able to have his family there that day, with his father at the forefront of moments he will treasure for the rest of his career, and beyond. “I remember us praying together on the pitch with the cup,” he recalls.

“We won it by the grace of God, so that was a very powerful moment. When you saw the fans after it was emotional.

“After that I gave the trophy to my father and he took it and started jumping up and down.

“Security said to me, ‘no, you have to bring the trophy back!’ I was scared he was just going to run off with it. But having those moments with him, it was powerful.”

But as well as the post-match joy, the atmosphere the players walked into, before a ball was even kicked, will stick in the minds of everyone there.

Looking at that pre-match display must have been a surreal experience for the Frenchman. “To be honest, I didn’t see it [the tifo] straight away,” he said. “But then after some people were like: ‘look, it’s what you said!’

“I was like, ‘oh my days!’ I couldn’t believe it. I checked it a few times to make sure it was real.

“The funny thing is that before the Community Shield I was asked a lot ‘will Wembley shake again?’

“And every time I’d say, ‘yes, you watch it’s going to shake again!

“Every time we get to Wembley I have to say it. Even in the finals of the Euro in 2028, when I want to be with the national team, I will say ‘Wembley is going to shake!’”

That brings us neatly to subject of international football.

Lacroix previously spent time at the prestigious Clairefontaine academy, one of the best in the world, responsible for a vast number of French players involved in the World Cup triumphs of both 1998 and 2018.

A year before the latter win, Lacroix was representing Les Bleus at the Under-17 World Cup. He has also won caps at U18 and U20 level, with new Palace teammate Jaydee Canvot currently on a similar pathway.

Last month, long after this interview was conducted, Lacroix was rewarded for his fine form for Palace this season with his first two senior appearances for France, featuring against Brazil and Colombia.

With Didier Deschamps’ team now preparing for this summer's World Cup finals, understandably, the centre-back is not reticent on his own international ambitions with that tournament now firmly on the horizon.

“Personally, this season I want to play the best football I can,” he says. “And hopefully that means I can compete for a place at the World Cup.

“Of course that has to be the aim, because if we have good results and we play well, like JP [Mateta] has shown, you can earn your place.

“If you are in form, you can compete with the guys who are already in the national team. And we have a big competition with the World Cup this year.

“I want to do it – and I believe I can do it.”

That part of Lacroix's journey is already underway.

His prospects will have been further bolstered by his impressive form in front of goal this season; the centre-back has struck three times so far this campaign, including important goals in the UEFA Conference League against AZ Alkmaar and Zrinjski Mostar at Selhurst Park.

“I was happy to score and I think I can definitely score more,“ Lacroix said, after the former strike.

"That one I was really happy about, because my family were there. I’m glad people could see I can still score!

“When you’re playing as a youngster, all you want to do is score goals. I remember the first coach who said to me ‘you have to be centre-back’, and I was like ‘how will I score goals?’

“I was actually a goalkeeper when I was really young, because my father was a goalkeeper, so he told me to go in goal. But I wanted to score goals and that’s quite difficult when you’re stuck as a goalkeeper.”

That’s not to say Lacroix didn’t hone his finishing as a junior.

“Thankfully I was really tall and quick so I was then used as a striker. I was actually quite good for a few years. “Then when I was 15, I moved slowly moved back through the positions. I didn’t have the flair; I wasn’t able to score every time.

“I played as a ‘10’, then a ‘No. 6’. Eventually I moved back to centre-back. I guess I should be glad I didn’t end up as a goalkeeper!”

His Dad may have originally wanted the young Maxence between the posts, but it was the sacrifices of both of his parents that gave Lacroix a chance to make it as a professional.

That achievement alone is not one taken for granted by the man now proudly wearing the No. 5 shirt for the Eagles.

“I come from a really small village, where nobody else has then made it to professional football,” he adds.

"It wasn’t easy. It was difficult to go to the training ground. My training ground was 30 minutes by car from where I live. My mum couldn’t drive me to the training ground. But she knew it was important, so she would ask friends to take me.

“Only after that time did some people then spot that I had quality. Then the decision was made for me to go to Bordeaux, the nearest big city, and ever since, I’ve been able to make my journey.”

Quite the journey it’s been. But one that still has more to give.

When sitting with Lacroix in the relatively calm surroundings of the first-team training ground, you encounter a confident, easy-going person, but also sense his aspirations to achieve more.

So what does Lacroix want to have done when the end of May rolls around and the season has concluded?

“To be honest, I want to win another trophy with Palace this season.

“The Conference League is new to us. But everyone has really embraced it. I feel like every single player is ready to compete.

"We’ve got plenty of games to play, but everyone is happy with that. I know we can do it.”

Who's to say that Lacroix and his teammates won’t be lifting more silverware come the end of the season?

Happy birthday, Maxence!