Crystal Palace hand Nigeria-eligible defender Mofe Jemide his first professional contract

ENGLISH Premier League side Crystal Palace had offered Nigeria-eligible teenage defender Mofe Jemide his first professional contract in what the club hopes will be his first step towards getting into their first team.

Jemide, 17, who began the 2023/24 season as a first-year scholar, has now signed what is his first professional contract with the Eagles.  Last season, Jemide was one of the most used players in the Palace academy ranks, playing in 25 out of a possible 26 games in all competitions for the U18 side.

Now, he has been handed a professional contract as a reward for his outstanding performances for the youth teams. An England youth international Jemide helped the Young Lions qualify for the 2023 Fifa U17 World Cup in Indonesia and made three appearances in the group stage of the European championship held in Hungary.

Tottenham-born Jemide joined Crystal Palace from Barnet at the age of 11 and has been described as a commanding, modern-day, centre-back who is comfortable on the ball and calm under pressure. Jemide was a member of the Palace squad that finished runners-up in the U15 National Floodlit Cup final against Sunderland in the 2021/22 season.

Now he has become a full fledged professional, Jemide will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Victor Moses and David Ozoh who rose through the academy ranks to make their first team debuts for Crystal Palace. However, for him to play for Nigeria, he will need to undergo a nationality switch with Fifa.