Teenage whizz-kid has the talent to reach top

EARLIER this season, former Millwall boss Gary Rowett predicted a deluge of Premier League interest in Romain Esse.

- Chris Dunlavy

“Believe me, they will be looking at Romain very, very closely,” said the 50-year-old, who gave the home-grown wideman his professional debut as a 17-year-old in 2022.

“He has got so much ability. Honestly, when he first came into the team a couple of years ago, he was one of those kids you look at and you think ‘Wow’.

“I don’t think he’s put that into consistent performances on the pitch just yet, but if he does, he’s a superstar in the making. He has got absolutely everything.”

Lo and behold, it has now been widely reported that Crystal Palace see Esse as the heir to Michael Olise and Ebere Eze, both Championship prospects who blossomed into international stars at Selhurst Park.

Developing

As Rowett says, Esse is not quite at that level yet.

Dougie Freedman, the Eagles' director of football, believes the teenager requires another six months in the Champi onship as a minimum, and would ideally spend next season developing his game in the second tier.

Whether competition forces his hand remains to be seen, but it is not difficult to understand what attracted Palace to a player long earmarked for the international stage.