It was really enjoyable
—Charlie Walker-Smith
Walker-Smith: The whole team is feeling confident ahead of Nottingham Forest
Ahead of Crystal Palace Under-21s’ penultimate Premier League 2 fixture against Nottingham Forest on Good Friday (3rd April, 18:00 BST), centre-back Charlie Walker-Smith discussed the recent international break, the challenge ahead, and the side’s push for a place in the elimination play-offs.
Walker-Smith is a modern centre-back, comfortable in possession and known for his trademark marauding runs from defence.
Having begun the campaign with the Under-18s, he has since established himself at Under-21 level, making 29 appearances across the age groups thanks to a series of standout performances.
The defender spent the March international break with Wales Under-19s, featuring in a friendly against the USA in Spain. Cymru were beaten 4–0 at Oliva Nova Resort as part of their preparations for this summer’s UEFA U19 EURO Finals, which will be hosted in north Wales.
Reflecting on the experience, Walker-Smith said: “Yeah, it was good. Obviously, everyone else is doing their qualifying rounds right now, but we were building up with a friendly.
“I think there were a few new players being tested and some new coaching staff as well, so it was about getting to grips with everything. But no, it was really enjoyable. I think we’re ready to get into the final stages of it.”
We’ll adapt to whatever they bring
—Charlie Walker-Smith
Attention now turns back to domestic action, where Nottingham Forest provide the next test for our young Eagles. Forest currently sit 17th on 23 points from 19 games, just outside the play-off places and leading the cross-category play-off positions.
They arrive in improved form, having recorded a 3–0 victory over Newcastle United last time out – their second successive win – to keep their hopes of a top-16 finish alive ahead of their final league fixture against Palace.
Prior to that, Forest had endured a difficult run, losing five consecutive matches against Southampton, Manchester City, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
Walker-Smith is confident Palace are well prepared for the challenge ahead.
“Confident. I think the team has been looking really good in training. We’ve done our work on them and on ourselves. The whole team is feeling confident and looking forward to the game.
I expect they’ll come out a bit more gritty now considering their recent results, but we’ve shown plenty of times that we can handle different types of tests. We’ll take it as it comes and adapt to whatever they bring.”
You should be going out to win every game
—Charlie Walker-Smith
The race for the play-offs remains tight, with six teams still capable of catching Palace. Sunderland are level on 28 points from 19 games, trailing only on goal difference, while Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa all remain within striking distance with games in hand.
Wolves and Stoke City, both on 22 points, also retain a mathematical chance of closing the gap.
However, Middlesbrough can no longer catch the young Eagles, leaving Palace in a strong position heading into the final two fixtures.
A point against Nottingham Forest would be enough to mathematically secure a play-off place, while a victory would not only confirm qualification but also boost Palace’s chances of finishing in the top eight – and potentially securing home advantage in the opening round of the elimination play-offs.
Despite that, Walker-Smith’s focus remains firmly on winning.
“I think if you need a point, you don’t need a point. Whether you’re secure or not, you should be going out to win every game.
“Obviously, right now a point would be enough, but we should look at it as needing to win, not just this game but every game.”
Having only returned from international duty midway through the week, the defender also acknowledged the quick turnaround.
“It’s a bit of a tight turnaround, but that’s the life of a footballer. You’ve got to be able to deal with that.
“You’d be more frustrated if you came back and weren’t involved, so you can’t really complain.”