The Palace manager has worked with members of both Academy squads at times this season, and said: "Our Under-23s have done well this year, they’re in with a chance of making the play-offs, which is good. But the team who has done particularly well I think is the Under-18s team.
"I’ve worked with three or four of those players on an occasional basis where they’ve come up and joined the first-team. I definitely think there are some players in that group who, if they continue to develop, and if they are able to make a step up and perhaps train a bit more often with the first-team than they’ve been doing, I definitely think there are some players who would quite happily join Aaron [Wan-Bissaka] and Tyrick [Mitchell] as players the club have brought through.
"Every club wants to bring through players, but it’s not easy because the step into the first-team has been hard for as long as I can remember. The quality of the Premier League these days doesn’t make it any easier, that’s for sure."
Hodgson also turned his attention to another current positive - the return of supporters to Selhurst Park and across the Premier League.
"It’ll be very good," he said. "People have been very patient, all the fans have been very patient, the league has been very cautious and rightly so because we got through a restart period of nine games and another 38 games without really any major crises in terms of the COVID pandemic.
"They deserve a great deal of credit for getting these games played. Of course they had to be behind closed doors and luckily the broadcasters have broadcast the games so people can follow their teams but it’s not quite the same as in the stadium. I’ve not heard anyone say anything other than it will be great to have fans back.
"Every team having the opportunity for a home game in front of its own fans is the start of where the next season begins and we see football back as we’ve always known it, with very many fans cheering on their team."
You can watch our Under-18s as they fight to win their league LIVE on Saturday. Find out more details here!
