Eagles boss ready to give youth chance

NEW manager Frank de Boer will take a good look in Crystal Palace’s “own kitchen” before deciding where to further strengthen the squad.

Chelsea’s 21-year-old midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek was confirmed on Wednesday as the first arrival following the Dutchman’s appointment.

Defender Jairo Riedewald is expected to soon head to Selhurst Park in a £7.5million transfer from De Boer’s former club Ajax.

Holland goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen is another reported target, said to be on a loan deal from Barcelona where he has not been able to oust number one Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

De Boer has been running the rule over the Palace squad at a training camp at St George’s Park before stepping up preparations for the pre-season campaign, which kicks off at Maidstone United on Saturday and will include several players from the under-23s squad.

The Dutchman, a graduate of the Ajax academy, is determined to bring some of the Eagles’ own talent through before splashing out on fresh resources.

“If you want to buy other players, first you have to look in your own kitchen and we have some talented players,” De Boer said on the official Crystal Palace website.

The Dutch coach, who took over following Sam Allardyce’s sudden departure earlier in the summer, added: “People (at Palace) are very nice, very helpful and really want to make something good out of it.

“Also the players, they are giving 100 per cent in every training (session), it is good to work, so I have nothing to complain about right now.

“It is more about getting the (fitness) load into their body, then next week we will go to more shorter games and the intensity getting higher and higher.”