“Frankly, I don’t care” – Crystal Palace player on pressure and trophy aim

Crystal Palace defender Jaydee Canvot has insisted he doesn’t think about his €23m price tag, or the expectation that brings.

The 19-year-old has been speaking to Foot Mercato about life with Crystal Palace after joining them in September.

He is slowly establishing himself in Oliver Glasner’s side, starting their last three Premier League games. The defender is viewed at the club as the long-term replacement for Marc Guehi, who finally left in January and joined Manchester City.

That’s opened the door for Canvot to gain playing time and finally get his career with Crystal Palace going. Given his transfer fee, expectations are high. But the youngster is refusing to focus on that.

“No, frankly, I don’t care. I haven’t thought about it,” he said.

“I do my job on the pitch; the financial and administrative side isn’t my responsibility. Yes, this transfer represents a lot of money, but that’s just football today, everything moves faster. But I don’t think about it when I sleep.”

What surprised Canvot about the Premier League

Canvot had to wait for his chance following Guehi’s failed move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window.

That saw him enduring a slow start to the season, spending the first six Premier League games sat on the bench. He’s been on and off the bench since, with 13 of his 25 call-ups to the Crystal Palace squad this season on the bench.

The youngster didn’t take that as an insult, though. Instead, he used the time to watch and learn about his new environment.

“I studied the players who played in my position as a center-back,” he explained

“I also watched the opposing players, I analysed their movements, and I also noticed how focused you had to be from the first minute to the last. Then there’s the intensity of a Premier League match. I think that’s what struck me most.”

Why Crystal Palace are taking Europe seriously

Now the focus is on continuing a solid start to life in the first team. Guehi’s departure has opened the door and Canvot has walked through it.

He has started and finished Crystal Palace’s last three games, including an impressive performance in the 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

He also played 90 minutes in the 2-0 win over  Zrinjski Mostar in the Europa Conference League last month. Focus now turns to the clash with AEK Larnaca this week. And Canvot insists they’re in the competition to win it.

“Of course, I feel we have what it takes to win it,” he concluded.

“Everyone in the group feels we have what it takes. We’re playing in the Conference to win it, and we’ve made it our competition. We’re going there to win a title.

“I wasn’t here last season, but they had the best year in the club’s history, winning two trophies so I’d like to win my first one too. And why not this season?”

Belief, adaptation and a growing conviction

For Canvot there is no sense of easing in or waiting for the future. Crystal Palace’s recent success has raised expectations inside the dressing room as much as outside it and he has embraced that responsibility.

With belief growing and trophies firmly in mind, he is clear about the mindset driving him forward: this is a team that expects to compete, and he intends to grow with it.