Roshaun Mathurin: Crystal Palace's 1%
Few players have had as much of a bounce-back season as Crystal Palace U21 winger Roshaun Mathurin. Proving the doubters wrong has been a theme of his young career already, and the upcoming season could prove important for his development and transition into first team football.
The 20-year-old played 33 times for Darren Powell’s side in Premier League 2 last season, as well as featuring in the numerous cup competitions that his side competed in, which included lifting the Premier League International Cup at Selhurst Park in May.
Mathurin’s career so far
Mathurin is a product of the Tottenham Hotspur academy, spending his youth career in North London prior to signing for Palace upon his release in August 2023.
Being released from an academy can be a deciding moment in a young player’s career, and similar to Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, Mathurin is looking to use his early academy rejection as motivation to make it at the highest level.
The story of last season
Finding his feet at his new club, it took a handful of substitute appearances for Mathurin to nail down a starting spot in the side, but once he was offered this, he never looked back.
A 6-2 win and two goals against Middlesbrough gave Powell little choice but to make him a key starter in the Palace side.
In Premier League 2, Mathurin ended the season with 33 appearances, four of those from the bench. Six goals and six assists rounded off an excellent domestic campaign for the talented winger.
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In the U21 PL Cup, Mathurin started five games and was used off the bench in one, adding two goals and one assist to his tally.
He also made four appearances in the EFL Trophy against first-team football league opposition.
Finally, in the Premier League International Cup, Mathurin was a key figure in Palace’s trophy-winning run, playing seven times and helping himself to three goals.
For a first season at a new club, 33 appearances, 11 goals and fourteen assists can be viewed as a hugely successful one.
Analysing Mathurin’s style of play
Mathurin is a dynamic, forward-thinking and hard-working winger, who predominantly plays off the left-hand side, although he has been deployed centrally at times this season too.
Possessing a level of confidence that saw him thrive last season, Mathurin can beat players with his electric pace and fast feet. He is a player who excites, a performer who takes great joy from putting on a show for the fans.
Mathurin also plays with an extremely mature head on his shoulders, making good decisions in the final third and taking chances with elite composure and devastating execution.
As is the case with the attacking players across all teams at Palace, Mathurin’s workrate and defensive contribution are also an important aspect of his play, dropping deep to win the ball back and starting attacks with his passing range.
His style of play benefits the systems seen in the football league, with strong set-piece delivery, crossing and general build-up and passing play.
These aspects of his play render him ready for a loan move this summer.
What next for Mathurin?
Mathurin is ready for a loan move next season, and could thrive in a division as high as League One.
He would suit a system that focuses on playing wide before getting the ball into the box, but also where he would be free to use his one-on-one ability and pace to drive with the ball and release shots and crosses.
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Henry Swain
JOURNALIST (ACADEMY)
A season ticket holder from the age of 5 to 18, Henry is as passionate a Palace fan as you’re likely to find. Enjoying the finer details of football, it’s the players that go under the radar that catch his attention. He watches every Palace game there is and has a keen passion for academy football. When he’s not watching or talking about football, Henry can be found binging a Netflix series or losing games on FIFA.
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