At half-time, Paul Langan ripped into his players. It was May 2019, and his Riddlesdown Collegiate team were in the English Schools FA PlayStation Cup Under-14s final… and they were losing.
Then it came.
Midfielder David Ozoh (posing with his Riddlesdown shirt in our main image) made a darting run from deep in his own half, showed for the ball, controlled it and put away an equaliser that would eventually send the match to penalties. He then scored the third Riddlesdown spot-kick to restore parity in the shootout, ultimately helping his Croydon school to victory.
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“We were playing one of the best football teams in the country,” Langan, who is director of sport at Riddlesdown, tells The Athletic. “I was probably a bit over the top in terms of my conversation. But he (Ozoh) came out in the second half and was a monster. He dominated the game and went above and beyond to lift the team.
“He always led by example. If a game got tough, he would take it to another level, step up, and bring everyone with him. He would encourage everyone and he never feared failure. He wouldn’t criticise anyone if they did something wrong — it was always praise, encouragement and development.
“David was always smiling and laughing, and was quite the wind-up merchant. I think he still has three or four of my school football shirts at home — he used to wear two or three (at a time) in games as he would be so cold and then wear them home.”
That experience with his school at Stoke City’s Bet365 Stadium almost four years ago was a taste of things to come and those personal qualities, along with his prodigious talent, have helped Ozoh progress with Crystal Palace to the point that he made his competitive first-team debut, at age 17, against high-flying Newcastle last weekend.
With a few minutes remaining in the goalless draw, he replaced Odsonne Edouard to become the club’s youngest-ever Premier League player at 17 years and 260 days — breaking a record set by George Ndah in a November 1992 match against Liverpool at Anfield.
It is easy to see why Ozoh is already playing top-flight football.
His physical presence is striking for such a young player and he is a commanding presence on the ball. He is also brave in the tackle and has a good awareness of what is around him. Although his passing is relatively limited, he says it is developing all the time due to his game now being tested at a higher level.
“He had a knack of getting back, breaking up play and setting up quick counter-attacks,” Langan recalls. “It was such an asset as he could repeat it over and over many times.”
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A second-year scholar who signed professional terms at Palace on his 17th birthday last May, Ozoh has been an almost ever-present for Paddy McCarthy’s under-21s side this season in Premier League 2.
There had been a taste of first-team football in pre-season, when he started against Leeds United in Perth during the tour to Australia and Singapore, and he was on the bench for recent league games against Bournemouth, Chelsea and Manchester United — before making his bow in the 89th minute against Newcastle.
“He has really grown since he’s been with us,” Palace manager Patrick Vieira said recently. “He is adjusting himself to the tempo of the game but he has the strength, power and technical quality to train with us every day.
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“Now he has to spend time with the first team. There will be an opportunity to play him and it’s important to give him the experience, to see if he can cope with the Premier League.
“He still has a long way to go. He’s training with the first team and found it tough the first few weeks, but is getting used to it. We have to give him time to grow.”
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Born in Spain to Nigerian parents, Ozoh’s footballing journey began when he joined the Lambeth Tigers in south London at age eight, shortly after moving to England. The grassroots club have produced players for Palace, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and many more.
“His work ethic off the ball was unbelievable,” says Tigers’ co-founder David Marriott. “He was a clever box-to-box player. Technically, he needed work, which is why we kept him back for a year. He was involved in everything, was a good leader and trained in every session like it was his last. He was never scared.
“I could see he had the ability to one day play first-team football.”
There is a steely determination about the youngster, but also an impressive level-headedness. Those who have worked with him at Palace remark on his well-mannered approach.
Some of that maturity may have developed after the death of his mother when he was 15. Langan speaks highly of how Ozoh dealt with the loss: “He coped through football and stayed focused. They are a close-knit family, his dad has always supported him. He (Ozoh) coped with it — school and football. He balanced it all.”
Marriott describes his resilience as “epic”, noting Ozoh “finds it difficult to be injured, and always wants to play”.
And he has the edge required to perform at the highest level. “He would be physical with other academy players when he was with Croydon Schools,” says Langan.
“The teams he played against would be mixed with players from professional academies, but he would play alongside one of our schoolboys. He would help them relax, be playful and physical but bring them into the game at the same time, which was quite unique.”
Marriott is quick to point out that “he’s never been a bragger, never puts people down”.
It has been a rapid rise from Palace Under-18s to their Under-21s and now to the first-team squad. But in many ways, the real test is about to begin.
Transitioning from an occasional spot on the bench to first-team regular poses a host of challenges, but Ozoh appears to have the personality, application and talent to meet them head-on.
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(Top photo: Paul Langan)
