King, Benamar, and Rodney reflect on a special night at Selhurst

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George King, Dean Benamar and Kaden Rodney all caught the eye in front of a packed Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace were held to a 2-2 draw by KuPS Kuopio in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday evening (18th December).

It was a memorable night for the Academy trio, with King and Benamar making their senior debuts, while Rodney – slightly more experienced – made just his second start for the first team, albeit under the bright lights of European football.

Rodney has been around the senior squad for some time, travelling on pre-season tours, featuring in matchday squads across league and cup competitions, and making his debut in a 2-0 Carabao Cup victory over Oxford United under Patrick Vieira. However, starting in the UEFA Conference League represented a significant step up.

Reflecting on the occasion, he said: “It’s always an incredible feeling to play for your boyhood club, especially in the Conference League, international football. It’s a different type of football. It was a pleasure to go out there and play.”

Centre-back King has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past year, stepping up to the U21s during the latter stages of the 2024/25 campaign before being handed his senior debut as part of Oliver Glasner’s back three.

A lifelong Palace supporter who grew up in South London, King admitted he never imagined his first-team debut would arrive so soon, at just 18 years old.

“It’s a good moment. I’ve been supporting Palace since I was seven, so to actually play at Selhurst, it was a dream come true. So thank you to the manager,” he said.

While playing under Selhurst Park’s floodlights is nothing new for Academy players – having featured there in competitions such as the Premier League 2 play-offs, Premier International Cup and FA Youth Cup – performing in front of a full house presents a very different challenge.

“It was a bit surreal,” King added. “I’ve gone from watching the Conference League to playing in it, so thank you to the manager.”

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The hard work doesn't stop here
—George King

Manager Oliver Glasner was full of praise for the youngsters on show, recognising the level of intensity they were experiencing. For Benamar, the evening proved a valuable learning experience.

“I learnt a lot from that game. I am very grateful for the opportunity. I want to thank the manager, I want to thank all the people that have helped get me to where I am now. Very, very grateful – thank you for that,” he said.

Glasner was complimentary about each of the Academy players’ performances, highlighting that all demonstrated they are more than capable of stepping up to first-team football when called upon.

Looking ahead, Rodney emphasised the mindset required after such a landmark occasion.

“The next step from here is to keep working hard, to be honest. The hard work doesn’t stop here just because you made your debut at Selhurst. You have to keep going. Each one of us knows that when we go home there’s another mission to complete.”

Revealing the manager’s message before kick-off, King added: “Just play with a smile and just do what we’re doing.”

Speaking on the broadcast, Glasner encouraged the youngsters to play with freedom, quality and confidence – to express themselves and not be shy.

“You expect the intensity to be different to Academy football, it’s European football,” King concluded. “It was good, a good experience, thank you.”

Benamar closed by agreeing that family and friends would be immensely proud of all three debutants after a special night at Selhurst Park.

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