Crystal Palace Take Semi-Professional Striker on Trial as Eagles Look to Boost U18 Side

Crystal Palace have taken Cray Wanderers striker Freddie Parker on trial.

The teenager will link up with the Eagles’ under-18 side in the hope of earning a contract having impressed after breaking into Wanderers’ first-team this season.

Semi-professional Cray Wanderers, who play in the Isthmian League Division One South, claim to have been formed sometime around 1860, which if true would make it one of the oldest football clubs in the world.

Their highest footballing achievement is that they reached the fourth FA Cup qualifying round in the 2005/06 season.

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Parker, who is a second-year scholar, has netted on several occasions since being promoted to the Bostik South club’s senior side.

Most notably he helped his side to an 8-0 drubbing of Horsham in the preliminary round of the FA Trophy last month, coming off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick.

He will compete with Francis Baptiste – who was previously the subject of a bid from Tottenham last season – and Welsh youth international Brandon Oddy, for a berth in the under-18 line-up.

Palace currently only have one senior striker fit, Nigerian Freddie Ladapo, who has only ever made one appearance for the first team in 2016.

Ladapo was also signed from an Isthmian side, joining Palace from Margate in 2016.