22nd Mar 2024 • Written by Henry Swain

Asher Agbinone: Crystal Palace's 1%

The attacking ranks amongst the academy at Crystal Palace are some of the most exciting, with the likes of Franco Umeh, Jesse Derry, and Roshaun Mathurin all currently excelling across the under-21 and under-18 age groups. 

Potentially the pick of the bunch, however, is 18-year-old Asher Agbinone. A versatile, explosive, and confident player capable of playing as a striker or on either wing, Agbinone has spent the last two seasons embarrassing opponents in the U18 Premier League and is now starting the transition to the PL2 with Darren Powell’s under-21 side.

With Mathurin and Umeh likely to go out on loan next season, Agbinone will undoubtedly become an integral part of the under-21s next season - but can he make it to the first team and join Crystal Palace’s 1%?

Who Is Asher Agbinone?

Joining the academy set-up at Crystal Palace at age nine, Agbinone has progressed through the ranks and now finds himself sniffing around the under-21 squad. He made his debut for Rob Quinn’s under-18 side at the end of the 2021/22 campaign. His first goal at under-18 level came in October 2022, a match-winning strike away to Sheffield United in the under-18 PL Cup.

His performances were enough to earn him his first professional contract which he signed in October of 2022. March 2023 saw Agbinone recognised with his first official club award, winning Goal of the Month for an incredible long-range strike against Spurs.

However, after signing his professional contract, Agbinone faced his largest challenge. The attacker found himself sidelined for a lengthy period due to injury. He wasn’t involved in matchday action this season until December, when his side travelled to Devon to face Plymouth Argyle in the FA Youth Cup - but he returned with a bang, assisting George King’s winning header with a superb cross into the box. 

Agbinone’s season so far 

The current season has been one of recovery for Agbninone, getting back up to full speed as he approaches his 19th birthday in September. In a side that has been spearheaded by Zach Marsh and Jesse Derry, Agbinone’s numbers are not quite on the same level. Between the two of them, Marsh and Derry have scored a ridiculous 40 goals. The winger has made 16 appearances this season for the under-18s, scoring four and assisting once. 

Three of Agbinone’s goals this term have come against Aston Villa and Fulham in the under-18 PL and against Hull City in the FA Youth Cup fifth round; his sole assist this campaign came against Plymouth in the earlier rounds of the FA Youth Cup. 

Agbinone impressed under-21s boss Darren Powell with his performances in the under-18s and has since picked the winger for the bench on multiple occasions this season. He made his ‘first appearance’ for the 21s in the abandoned game against Leicester, where Joe Sheridan sustained a season-ending injury. His first official under-21 minutes came on Friday, March 15th, this year, as Powell’s side were on the wrong end of a 4-0 battering.

Analysing Agbinone’s style of play 

One-on-ones are Agbinone’s bread and butter. It's a shame that under-18 games don’t come with the same in-depth stats as first-team games, because his take-on and dribble success stats would be out of this world. This comes down to a number of characteristics: electric pace, strength, and elite footwork. Consistent under-18 viewers will be more than familiar with the rate at which Agbinone takes on defenders, using fast feet and body feints to round his man with relative ease. 

A key contributing factor to Agbinone’s performances is his mentality. He has a tireless work ethic and contributes just as much defensively as he does in the final third. Ball carrying and retention are also strong aspects of his game; he often wins his side free-kicks when he does lose possession. Agbinone makes dribbling look easy as a result of his spatial awareness and lightning-fast agility, allowing him to dance past oncoming defenders.

In his side’s 4-1 win against Norwich, he picked the ball up from a wide area, beating three men as he cut across the pitch before finishing low into the bottom left corner. This finishing style has been consistent with Agbinone’s goals this season, finding the bottom corner with shots back across goal against Hull, Villa, and Norwich. 

It would be fair to suggest his overall finishing ability is an area of his game that requires some improvement, creating so many chances for himself every time he plays but not quite finding the punishing finish. However, that isn’t to say he isn’t an accurate shooter of the ball—more like the opposite—but his choice of finish can sometimes let him down. Agbinone has shown time and time again that he is capable of a top-rate finish from inside and outside of the box, but can also sometimes rush a shot and aim too high or straight at the goalkeeper. This is likely a symptom of his playstyle: having limited time before shooting once he works space for himself. If he can improve this part of his game to match the standards around him, his numbers will soar. 

The confidence that he has in his own ability is demonstrated by the relentless nature of his attacking play. Faced off against his man twice early on and been dispossessed? He’ll get a third chance and won’t shy away. This side of his game does need to be balanced slightly, as it can sometimes lead to poor decision-making as he looks to get one over his opposing defender, missing the chance to set up a teammate for a simple finish. 

He has shown that when he spots a pass, he can execute it with pace and accuracy, as well as having a very strong crossing ability. This side of his game is seen less frequently in the under-18 side, where the wingers tend to cut inside and create chances on the floor instead of in the air. His assist at Plymouth, however, was demonstrative of the threat his crossing ability carries, cutting back before delivering a perfectly weighted ball onto the head of George King. 

Can Agbinone make it at Palace?

Oliver Glasner has shown early signs that he is willing to give chances to players across the youth set-up, with a large number of the under-21 squad travelling to Marbella and playing in the second half of the 1-0 win over Norwegian Champions Bodo/Glimt. There is no doubt that the likes of Agbinone will be offered valuable training opportunities with the first team, which will be hugely beneficial for his development. 

Next season, Agbinone will be in the under-21 squad and will have the opportunity to perform against a new level of opponents. Ultimately, it will be down to his development over the next couple of years if he is to make it as a player at Crystal Palace. Loan moves could play a crucial role in Agbinone’s progression. He certainly has the raw abilities to become one of Crystal Palace’s 1%.

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