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OFFICIAL: Nigerian Midfielder Olise Joins Crystal Palace On Five-Year Deal 

OFFICIAL: Nigerian Midfielder Olise Joins Crystal Palace On Five-Year Deal 

Crystal Palace have announced the signing of England-born Nigerian midfielder Michael Olise from Reading, Completesports.com reports.

According to a statement released on Palace’s official website on Thursday, Olise joined Palace on a five-year contract. 

“Crystal Palace have completed the signing of highly-rated teenager Michael Olise from Reading.

“Olise, a 19-year-old attacking midfielder, has signed a five-year contract with the club as Palace’s first arrival since Patrick Vieira’s appointment as manager.”

Olise moves to south London after a season with Reading that saw him earn seven goals and 12 assists from 46 games.

Also Read: UEFA Investigates England After Semi-final Win vs Denmark 

He started his youth career with Chelsea, before joining Manchester City and then Reading, where he worked his way through the system and earned a first-team debut in March 2019, aged just 17. 

This achievement – and three further senior appearances – secured Olise Reading’s Scholar of the Season Award for 2018/19.

He enjoyed more minutes with the Royals in 19/20 and scored his first professional goal in September 2019 against Barnsley.

But it was in 20/21 where Olise’s name truly came to the fore, with the promising youngster scooping a trio of awards for his impressive performances: EFL Young Player of the Season, and inclusion in the Championship Team of the Season as well as the PFA’s Championship Team of the Year.

Internationally, the attacking midfielder has represented France Under-18s in the Toulon Tournament.

Olise said: “It’s a big moment – Premier League football. It’s a great club and I’m very excited to be here. Good players, a good manager, so I’m ready to start.”

He was born in England to a Nigerian father, and French-Algerian mother and is eligible to represent France, Algeria, England, and Nigeria internationally.

On 27 May 2019, Olise was called up to the France U-18 for the 2019 Toulon Tournament and made his debut on 2 June 2019, against Qatar U-23. 

In March 2021, Olise was named as a standby for the Nigeria squad ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho.


By James Agberebi 


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COMMENTS

WORDPRESS: 30
  • Nice midfielder will a very long passing range…Good set piece ability…And excellent dribbling ability….He will be of great help to Super Eagles when he starts playing for SE

  • Ikeben 3 years ago

    Olise in Crystal Palace, I hope Eze will not further convince him to dump Super Eagles. He agreed to join Super Eagles and had Passport delays, reason he was put on standby, but it seems he is now having a second thought lately, according to some news site.

    We really need to up our Midfield and Olise is the best option for now. Let see how it goes.

  • Horus 3 years ago

    Eze will convince him not to play for eagles so bye bye

    Most likely England or France will get him.

    NFF wasted friendly matches not tiring him down

  • shuma 3 years ago

    This is a bad decision. In a handful of years this team may be relegated, even the owner mentioned this when the super league fiasco happened saying they could be relegated. This team is mid table at best. Joining palace is only a desperate move if you want to go to the premier league. This guy had a lot of teams wanting him from Bayern to “Joined the likes of PSG, Lyon, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Juventus for Olise.” Zaha got like one year left, soon leave. Eze did the same thing a long deal for $20 million pounds, gotta be desperate. All these players here making dumb decisions. And Eze is better than Nigeria, a player of his caliber should not play for a team that is part of a corrupt country and don’t pay its players.

  • Hope Patrick veiara does not convince him to star for France

  • That is our future player with number 7 Jesey. Musa will soon pack his load.
    Even Eze will be forced to join the Cruise.

  • Ayphillydegreat 3 years ago

    I sincerely hope Nigeria don’t miss out on this talented kid. Watching Saka yesterday I could only imagine what might have been. Anyway I don’t blame them if they dump us eventually because nothing is done properly in that sorry country. It is only people who are patriotic in their hearts that can use Nigeria over any other structurally organized society.

    • Ayphillydegreat 3 years ago

      In another news Oghenekaro Peter Etebo undergoes medical with Watford in a loan move from Stoke City. We will be having a handful of players in premier league this season.

      • Dr. Drey 3 years ago

        I hope Watford will be able to cope with losing their “Nigerian legion” when the AFCON commences in January 2022

    • Abdul handsy 3 years ago

      I am really hoping that Olise will not dump Nigeria at the end of the day as it has already been reported by owngoalnigeria.com that his agent has changed his mind against representing Nigeria having another thought against the former agreement with Nigeria.

      Rohr is being infuriated by the role Olise’s agent has played in the whole issue. It is going to be a massive lost if he eventually backed out and play for another nation apart of Nigeria.

      The super eagles is really in dire need of Michael’s offensive prowess, the sublime passes, the freekicks, the directness, his link-up play and all…

      And now that he is going to be coached and managed by the former French international, it may be going, going, gone!

      E go pain me if Nigeria eventually looses this guy mehn!

  • Collins id 3 years ago

    We have nwakali, ejiara, nwobodo, iwobi, and ndidi, our midfield will do verry well without this shakara boys.

    • As much as we would have liked having these players in the super eagles, we cant continue to pine over them. They have made their choice or are still considering it. So let’s let them be and face our own challenges.
      The National team handlers keep saying they need playmakers in the team but they continue to ignore potential talents out there. When its time to play friendly games the players they should try out are not invited or they are dropped on the bench. Our midfield may not have the biggest names but we can build on what we have by bringing in some fringe players who are doing well in remote clubs. Nwakaili seems to be rediscovering himself gradually, alhassan yusuf is a consistent performer in his club same as nwobodo, even Amoo the little guy is worthy of note, he could be ready to play in the team in a years time. So whats wrong in bringing in these guys and trying them out. We prefer reusing same players that we know cant raise their game, then when they underperform the team handlers will make excuses.
      Lets cast our net out there, select those with the greatest potential and try them in the team.

  • Ololo 3 years ago

    I fear we might also lose this olise guy.. It is obvious he is a good player. He has 4 great footballing countries to delete from, England, france, Nigeria and Algeria. It is going to be a very difficult decision, you don’t reject a France and an England for a Nigerian side with very poor football structure. Let’s be honest with ourselves, if you were in his shoes will you play for Nigeria. I pray we get this player, because his position is where we have very little options. It will be a battle. I wish him well

  • Chairmanfemi 3 years ago

    It’s going either ways with Nigeria totally out of the picture, sad to say.

    He is a good player. After one or two matches for Palace, The English media will spot him and do a research on his National career and thereafter, he will either be called to their Age-grade team or Main team. Trust English media na.

    Another one is Coach Patrice Viera’s impact. He might just convince him to play for France and he will surely accept that offer too.

    Algeria have a better prospect of making the news in Africa again and world probably than Structurally Corrupt Nigerian Football this days. But I doubt he will choose them cuz of the Religion thing. He wasn’t brought up that way so it will be hard for him to cope. Assuming the Father is also a Muslim, that wouldn’t have been the Problem. So many are shy of saying this probably cuz of Religion stuff but that’s it.

    Then Nigeria, Last thing he would consider. Infact, if He choose to play for us, that day should be declared as a National Holiday that we’ll keep marking till he retires…lol. No thanks to poor football and Corrupt FA. So sad to say our Football is gradually going back to those dark days again.

    • Chairman Femi. I disagree. North African teams have struggled in world cup. Even the best of Egyptian and Algerian and Tunisian teams did not live up to the billing. If he is wise, the best bet is Nigeria it england it France but he will struggle with France and England. Even with Nigeria, he has older and more experienced competitors but we are his best bet.

  • pompei 3 years ago

    It is his decision to make. If he wants to play for us, he will come. But we also have to clean up our ways. No matter how attractive a woman is, if she does not meet certain standards, hygiene for instance, suitors go dey waka.
    Olise has shown so far that he is a guy who looks before he leaps. He will not come to a country that is owing the coach and players, or does not have good pitches for matches. Just to name a few issues.
    So far, he has kept us in the loop as a last resort, in case his preferred options France and England don’t work out. If we want to displace these 2 countries, we have to do the needful and make Nigeria a great business choice for Olise. Sentiments and patriotism aside, it’s all about the the incentives, financial or otherwise.
    We might as well get used to the idea that he won’t chose us, because of the corrupt, inept, and incompetent administrators currently in office. These are enough to make a player stay away from Nigeria, no matter how much love he had to begin with.

    • Olise is what you said but I also noticed he is a guy that wants to get to the top early….He wants to get international recognition early…..He wants to be in the next world cup traveling party….He wants to get to 50 international caps early….He wants to be a veteran in international football before he clocks 25…he wants to Grace 4 major tournaments before he clocks 25….And from all my calculations only Nigeria can offer him all these things hence his decision to switch to Nigeria…..Olise had an agreement with Rhor before he was invited and that’s why he was invited it was not a coincidence….Some players are wiser than others.

      • pompei 3 years ago

        Indeed, Nigeria is by far his best bet if he wants to achieve these milestones. With Nigeria, he could potentially attend 4 world cups, and multiple Afcons. Nigeria would definitely offer him a lot more international opportunities.

  • Whena re we going to stop mourning vtgese guys. What have we done with the ones we have already. Why are we mourning guys why are we mourning guys who did not win anything with their clubs.

    We have ejaria and lookman coming up. Saka is good but he will struggle in Africa. We talk as if saka even if he plays for Nigeria will always bench chukwueze. Common, let’s celebrate what we have already. Let Olise go. He is not the next thing to happen in football. Let us see what he can do in premier league. Abeg let him go Joo.

    • Ayphillydegreat 3 years ago

      Saka will walk straight into any top African team first 11. Do you know what it takes to get into England first 11??? Go and ask John Fashanu. No disrespect to Chukwueze but Saka will bench Chukwueze in the Present SuperEagles take it or leave it. Agreed we lost him but that he won’t walk straight into the SuperEagles first 11 is like day and night. As for Olise Nigeria seriously need a playmaker and that’s glaring even for a blind Barthomew to see. We can only continue to manage what we have and we can’t give what we don’t have.

      • Let’s check the facts:

        1. Most of the English born have struggled in first few matches when they come especially in African qualifiers. Moses was the big exception and yonsome extent iwobi.

        2. Chukwueze is too class too. It’s just that we don’t always value what we have. Before Saks will settle down I Africa we don’t have the luxury if time. Rohr will never bench chukwueze for him when he comes. If he fails to probe a point in first few matches, then chukwueze will continue to have first team shirt.

        3. You forgot that chukwueze is a europa cuo winner…saka coukd not win that for arsenal.Whats even the position of arsenal in the league in England and the position of Villarreal but spain.

        4. Chukwueze is a winner at under 17…hope the remember.

        5. So only a foolish coach will bench a chukwueze for a saka if he had agreed to play for us.

        6. While I am not saying he is going to be a good addition but it’s not going to be a walk in as many of you alwsys make us to believe.

        7. You have forgotten that we still havr other players that can still that role. Even if saka is coming in as a left back, you should remember we have a too player in saidu zanusi. Do you want to I tell me sanusi us average. Again the record shiws it last year. He played actively in the champions league alert year. Saka okayed uefa.

        Remember that lookman is coming. Who I believe is a player that is rugged and skilful enough to play the African game.

        Same with ejaria.

        My observation about saka game is that he is skillful and intelligent but he I nit rugged enough for the African game except he takes time to get used to it like others. Before then we won’t be stupid enough to wait when we have other top quality in our team.

        When players don’t come to play for us, let’s leave them and concentrate in what we have which I enough.

        Saka is playing good for england today… Great but that’s england… It will take him time to adjust to the african game especially with my assessment of his game.

        We need to compete in Africa to win afcon and to qualify for world cup.

        • GLORY 3 years ago

          @ Christian Ministries Nigerian. Thumbs up man. @ Aphillydegreat, I totally disagree with you regarding Chuzzy/Saka. Ordinarily, I hate comparing players on public forum cos it oozes a sense of disrespect to these hard working guys. But to put record straight, I am forced into saying that I personally will pick the Wazzler dazzler Chuzzy 9 out of 10 chances as against Saka. Then the remaining 1 chance is when Chuzzy is not in top top form. Saka has done well for himself in the games he has played for England. But who can come here to say Chuzzy won’t do better if he was playing for same English team? Chuzzy has played well for nigeria on African “soil” where most of these English players will most likely struggle. Again both players had the chance to play against each other n Chuzzy stole the rave of that moment. Please brodaman Aphillydegreat, football is never a stereotype viewed but humbling dynamic. So we should strive not to use one team’s/ player’s performance to predict or judge another otherwise we may just end up bitting the dust. We should just enjoy these matches as they go n try respect the players by not comparing them every now or then. England is doing really well and it’s been really exciting over here and Saka is being marvelous as well, though I still maintain SE won’t miss him. Nigeria/ SE has good pool of fantastic players to produce enchanting performance at world stage. My only disappointment/ frustration is on those managing our football as well as those selfish, egoistic, lazy head etc ex internationals, agents/ media men. These ones are the negatives of our football n not our footballers quality.

          • @Glory. Thank you. We only get carried away and always to check facts very well. If chukwueze was playing for england and saka playing for us, they will say the same a different thing. Sometimes, as africans our inferiority complex is always the problems and not because we don’t have great talents. We carry this complex even into the way we analyse and comment bon football matters.

      • Let’s check the facts:

        1. Most of the English born have struggled in first few matches when they come especially in African qualifiers. Moses was the big exception and to some extent iwobi.

        2. Chukwueze is top class too. It’s just that we don’t always value what we have. Before Saks will settle down In Africa we don’t have the luxury of time. Rohr will never bench chukwueze for him when he comes. If he fails to prove a point in first few matches, then chukwueze will continue to have first team shirt.

        3. You forgot that chukwueze is a europa cup winner…saka coukd not win that for arsenal.Whats even the position of arsenal in the league in England and the position of Villarreal in spain.

        4. Chukwueze is a winner at under 17…hope you remember.

        5. So only a foolish coach will bench a chukwueze for a saka if he had agreed to play for us especially at the initial stages.

        6. While I am not saying he is not going to be a good addition but it’s not going to be a walk in as many of you alwsys make us to believe.

        7. You have forgotten that we still havr other players that can still play that role. Even if saka is coming in as a left back, you should remember we have a top player in saidu zanusi. Do you want to I tell me sanusi is average. Again the record shows it last year. He played actively in the champions league last year. Saka pkayed uefa.

        Remember that lookman is coming. Who I believe is a player that is rugged and skilful enough to play the African game.

        Same with ejaria.

        My observation about saka game is that he is skillful and intelligent but he is not rugged enough for the African game except he takes time to get used to it like others. Before then we won’t be stupid enough to wait when we have other top quality in our team.

        When players don’t come to play for us, let’s leave them and concentrate in what we have which Is enough.

        Saka is playing good for england today… Great but that’s england… It will take him time to adjust to the african game especially with my assessment of his game.

        We need to compete in Africa to win afcon and to qualify for world cup.

      • pompei 3 years ago

        I concur with Ayphilly.
        Chuks is a wonderful talent, that is not up for discussion. The edge Saka has over him is DECISION MAKING. As Dr Drey mentioned in a comment on another thread, apart from his pace and dribbling skills, Saka destroys opponents with SIMPLICITY. He keeps things simple, makes the KEY RUN and the KEY PASS. That’s what makes him so dangerous. Chuks also has the pace and the dribbling skills, but runs out of ideas, and is way too predictable. He can’t use his right foot, except for standing on. So every defender already knows he will try to cut in on his left. And his decision making in front of goal has been so poor of late. Yes, if Chuks improves in these areas, then it becomes more difficult for Saka to bench him, but as it stands currently, Saka will collect his jersey without breaking a sweat.

  • Paschal 3 years ago

    You are very right Ayphilly. But for me ibhave already removed my mind from Olise. The odds right now are badly stacked up against us and theres nothing anybody can do about that. Chairman Femi made some great observations: we have wonderful players like Amoo who won the league in Sweden, Ejaria is there, we have Nwakali and Nwobodo. These are very very smart midfielders. Let us look inwards we can make it with these boys. Leave the Olise guy alone. Am also wondering how he will be used at Crystal cos he plays same position as Eze who is doing very well right now. I wish him well. Pls CS dont give us any further news about Olise. We are no longer interested abeg.

  • Ayphillydegreat 3 years ago

    Thank you @pompei and @Paschal. There’s no denying the talents of Chukwueze he’s one of the SulerEagles key players at the moment. But in Terms of final decision making in the final third Saka is heads above him in that aspect. Pace and skill for skill they’re almost at par, but when it comes to making the right decisions in crucial moments I will take Saka all day everyday. Like Paschal said let’s focus on some other players in that midfield area. Nwakali, Nwobodo, Amoo and perhaps push Etebo up to the AM position. A midfield of Ndidi, Onyeka and Etebo with Etebo playing further up can still be manageable especially in the AFCON proper. Hopefully Olise choose us over France and England.

  • Goal ⚽️ 3 years ago

    If we failed to land this guy the sole blame should be on Rohr!

    A player I discovered when he was a nobody, and I kept sounding it here for oga Rohr to do the needful since the young don’t need any change of association , oga Rohr was busy playing games with our national team, now see it will be like Eze case.

  • pompei 3 years ago

    Chukwueze is undoubtedly one of our key players at the moment. Potentially one of the best players in the world.
    What is holding him back? In my opinion, the reasons the best clubs in the world are not sending him love letters are as follows:
    1) His decision making in the final third.
    2) His inability to properly use his right foot.
    If Chuks learns to properly use his right foot, his life will change completely. Even with his poor decision making, a two-footed Chuks will be too hot to handle for any defender. Unless that defender is not human. A two-footed Chuks will have so many options, it will make defenders dizzy.
    You can force a horse to the stream, but you can’t force it to take a drink.
    We have been advising Chuks for a long time now in this very forum to take time out and practice the use of his right foot. Beg his coach at Villareal to help him. Stay one or two hours longer after regular training practicing nothing else but the use of that right foot. That is the key to his progress in football.
    A right-footed Chuks can win APOY, and potentially even the Ballon D’or. Chuks as is he is now is headed to UNREALIZED POTENTIAL City. Transitioning to Chuks 2.0, a two-footed Chuks, is the key.

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