It has been a while since I last wrote and therefore quite alot has happened in and around the training ground.
I went away on pre-season tour with the first team and unfortunately when we got back I picked up an injured and I am still not training and have recently had a cortisone injection to try and settle the injury down.
Jonny Williams has made his debut for the first team and is doing really well and both the youth team and first team have made good starts to the season.
From the first day of pre-season myself and Jonny Williams were fortunate enough to train with the first team.
I felt comfortable and welcome throughout training but unfortunately Jonny got a niggling injury in the week leading up to the pre-season tour to Exeter.
On the Friday prior to the tour I was told I was travelling with the first team and going with them on the Monday, I was over the moon and couldn’t wait for Monday morning.
The tour was 5 days long and was very tiring.
Training was of such a high tempo and intensity each day, it really benefitted me. I learnt more and more as the week went on and that’s mainly down to working with the coaches and older professionals who pass on so much information and know how.
Basingstoke Town v Crystal Palace
At the end of the week, we had a game scheduled on the way home against Basingstoke FC and we were told everyone would play some part in the game but no more than 45 minutes because it was the first game.
I expected to come on for the last 10 minutes or so but when we got to the ground and after checking out the pitch I was shocked to find out that I was starting at centre back.
I had trained all week with them so I wasn’t nervous about it at all and couldn’t wait to kick off.
The 45 minutes flew by and before I knew it, the half was over. I felt I put in a good performance and didn’t do anything wrong.
We were 1-0 up at half time thanks to a goal from Wilfried Zaha. I came off at half time and the whole team was changed, we won the game 2-0 and it was a good start to pre-season on a personal note and also for the club and squad.
Everyone was in Monday morning and I was told I’d be training with the development squad that morning but it was explained to me that this had nothing to do with my training or performances with the first-team but because I am still learning the game and need to develop.
The gaffer told me I would be moved up and down between the first team, development squad and youth team so that I don’t suffer from exhaustion and also so that I can improve my game.
However, in that training session I felt a pain in my left groin and tried stretching it off, thinking I was just a little tight from the week before.
After a passing drill and exercise it still hadn’t settled and Curtis Fleming, the development squad manager told me to go in and see the physio, just to be on the safe side and so that I didn’t make anything any worse.
After seeing the physio, the initial prognosis was that it was just a little tight but it would be treated as a strain to be on the safe side and I would be fit in a couple of weeks.
I did a lot of Strength work and it felt good but as soon as I started running again and really stepped it up I felt it again and I immediately knew I would be out for longer!
An MRI scan revealed I had an adductor shear on my left side.
It wasn’t any worse than last time but this time we were going to wait for it to heal for longer and continue with the strength work. Nine weeks since first getting that pain, I am still not back into training and it is a frustrating time.
I went for a cortisone injection to finally just get rid of the pain and I am confident it will work as Paddy McCarthy and Kyle De Silva had exactly the same injury and injection and they are now playing again.
Although it is a frustrating time, what has kept me motivated is seeing Jonny Williams doing so well for himself. After missing out on the tour with an injury, he has not looked back and is training with the first team all the time.
He has made two League Cup starts and been involved in almost all the games so far this season. To see someone who I have played with from under 9’s doing so well has kept me going and has given the youth team something to strive for, knowing that if your good enough and the gaffer believes in you, then you will be given a chance.
As a club Palace is known for bringing through great youth products and Jon is another to go on that list that I am sure it will continue to grow and grow.
Finally, the first team and youth team are both playing good football and confidence is high. As always, when the club are doing well, there is a great atmosphere around the place and I hope that this continues.
