“When you go onto a football pitch today,” manager Paddy McCarthy tells them, “every single opposition you play against will want to be in your position. And they’ll want to show Dougie [Freedman], they’ll want to show the Chairman [Steve Parish], they want to show Gary [Issott] the Academy Director that they’re good enough to replace you.
“I know they’re not when we’re at it. That’s what I know. If I thought they were, we’d be over here trying to recruit. But we’re not: we recruit local, strong, hungry lads that play for this football club with a passion.
“Now, the expectations of this tournament is to do what? Win. We want to find a way to win from the moment we step on that pitch. Heads up, chests out, let’s go to work.”
The first instalment of Palace TV’s time in Israel provides a fascinating insight into the environment the next generation of south London footballers is being created in.
See how the lads fared in day one of their once-in-a-lifetime trip to Israel below! And stay tuned for episode two tomorrow, where the Eagles take on two further teams with real success, Parish meets the youngsters and two of the team open up on their experience of maturing in the Academy.
Alternatively, by logging in or signing up to Palace TV, you can watch the full series without having to wait! Enjoy it in one go here! Or if you're reading in the official app, just click 'Palace TV' for every episode.
