Oliver Glasner expressed his confidence in Justin Devenny’s ability to start for Crystal Palace after the young midfielder marked his first goal for the club in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Aston Villa. Devenny, 21, had previously made his senior debut in the 2-0 loss to Fulham just before the international break and earned a call-up to the Northern Ireland national team following his Premier League debut. Given the opportunity to start at Villa Park, Devenny made a significant impact by putting Palace ahead 2-1 with a clinical finish from Ismaila Sarr’s cross just before the break.
Despite the late equalizer from Ross Barkley denying Palace a victory, Glasner was full of praise for the young talent. While he admitted not fully understanding what Devenny said in the dressing room post-match, the manager was clearly impressed by the midfielder’s qualities. Glasner emphasized Devenny’s exceptional technical ability, stamina, and tactical intelligence, noting that the player is versatile enough to play in multiple positions and always finds space.
“He deserves this chance because he’s shown it in training,” Glasner remarked, highlighting that hard work and talent are always rewarded. He added that the club had been careful to allow Devenny to develop properly, and it’s gratifying to see the player’s progress. Glasner also took the opportunity to underline the importance of Palace’s academy in producing such high-quality players.
