Prolific Crystal Palace striker signs professional contract

Academy forward David Omilabu has signed a professional contract with Crystal Palace.

Omilabu, 18, has scored nine goals from 12 games for the U18s this season and also opened his goalscoring account for the U23s in his second appearance.

The forward joined Palace’s youth set-up aged eight, and this season has been instrumental in guiding the U18s to top spot in the Premier League South. His maiden strike for the U23s saw them clinch all three points in a 1-0 victory over Burnley in February.

He joins Fionn Mooney, Jadan Raymond and Tayo Adaramola in committing their futures to the club in recent months.

Omilabu said: “It’s a good feeling – I’ve been waiting my whole life for it. Since I was eight, my parents have been driving me to training and to matches, so it’s nice to know their hard work has paid off for me as well.

“At the start of the season my target was to score goals and help the team win, and it’s safe to say I’ve been doing that so far.

“[I love] the fans, the atmosphere of Crystal Palace as a south London club. I was born and raised in south London, so to know that the club is local to me feels very good.”

Chairman Steve Parish said: “It’s fantastic to see those who were amongst the first players recruited at age eight or nine when I arrived, now graduate to the full professional ranks. David is a player that has stood out on many occasions – not least when we played in overseas tournaments.

“He has fantastic qualities and I sincerely hope that David uses this achievement of signing as a professional to motivate himself even further to make the most of his talents, by keeping his head down and working harder than ever to help accelerate his development at Crystal Palace.”