Eagle Eye: What to expect from Romain Esse

First-team

23 Jan 2025

Sports Editor Richard Cawley has written for the South London Press since 2007, covering Millwall, Palace, Charlton, AFC Wimbledon – and clubs across the capital.

Here, Richard gives his thoughts on Romain Esse, Palace’s new signing from the Lions...

“He’s a really, really exciting talent”

I think he’s a really, really exciting talent – that’s the one thing you’d say about Romain Esse right from the get-go.

Millwall have, in recent years, probably struggled for goals, and that's been one of the things that's maybe impeded them getting to the play-offs, but in Esse, he was their outstanding attacking player at just 19 years of age.

He had been a mainstay of the side this season and was in the team from the start of the season. He's a player who has bundles of technical ability, and I think moving into the Premier League is going to suit him.

This season in particular, I would also say that it seems like, with some of the off-the-ball, defensive work that you have to do to be trusted, as he's got a bit older and he's matured a little bit and played more matches, he's developed that side of his game more as well.

Esse is a player who will get fans off their seats, that's for sure – I think he's an excellent signing for Palace.

“He can play in a couple of different positions”

Obviously, he’s played mostly in a wider role coming through, but I think you could see him playing in that central No. 10 position as well. That’s probably his long-term home in my opinion.

He’s certainly a player who’s only going to get better and better as he plays more matches. We've seen that this season at Millwall. Since he's been able to hold down a place in the side, he's just gone from strength to strength with his performances.

That, to me, is the reason that Palace have gone for him. I think he's exactly the kind of player that Palace fans enjoy watching. Romain has definitely got the potential to go on to be a big star for them.

I think there'll maybe need to be a bit of patience at first. I imagine that for Romain, any game time he gets is going to be a bonus to him this season, because he’ll want to settle into a new club.

He’s been at Millwall for a long time – since he was nine – so it’s a change of environment for him. You can never predict how long that will take any player in terms of an adjustment period, so I don’t think he’ll necessarily be thinking that he’ll come in and start straight away.

But I do think that when you look at what Romain's done in the Championship, it's a good grounding. Millwall fans obviously would have loved to have had him there for longer, and for him to have played 100 games at that level, but he's experienced plenty.

“He has got huge potential”

Romain has got huge potential.

There were a couple of Millwall matches earlier this season where I saw him try and play passes that maybe other players wouldn’t. Sometimes, it looked like the pass had been over-hit – but I think what actually happened is he had a picture of where he thought other players could get to and go to.

Perhaps, when you get to the Premier League, those passes then begin to really pay off, because you’ve got players who are quicker and able to see the same kind of pictures as Romain can do.

He’s certainly not the finished article, but I think his ceiling is huge. You only need to look at the fact that he’s only 19 years of age.

“The Championship is a good learning ground”

The Championship is a pretty good learning ground and education for a footballer because you get all different types of teams: physical sides, sides who play more football…

Romain's had to deal with that, and the physical demands of the game. I don't think that will faze him in the Premier League. He's a strong player. He can hold the ball and he's able to ride challenges.

Obviously, the difference when you look at the Premier League is just some of the technical ability, and the pace and power of it. He’s going to be up against that all the time – but in some of the stuff he does, he's got that. He makes it look effortless as he beats players.

He’s been joint-top scorer for Millwall in the league this season, so he’s had some decent involvement there in terms of attacking returns. On top of that, he's obviously been away with England Under-20s, and that will have helped him again because he's had a taste of international football.

Overall, I don't think Romain will be thinking he's got to come in and make an instant statement. I'm not saying he won't want to, but I think patience is key.

But I think the supporters will give him that, because he is so young and I think he'll create enough excitement that fans will be prepared to wait for him to really hit his peak.

You can follow Richard Cawley on X here, and read his work in the South London Press here.

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Richard Cawley, and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Crystal Palace.

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