Odsonne Edouard says he ‘couldn’t say no’ to joining Crystal Palace and jumped at the chance to work with ‘French legend’ Patrick Vieira. The 23-year-old signed a four-year contract with the Eagles on Tuesday night, moving from Celtic to Selhurst in a deal reported to be worth up to £18.5m. Edouard, who will wear the number 20 shirt for Palace, is the club’s seventh signing of the summer transfer window. Asked by PalaceTV why he chose to join the club,
Odsonne Edouard said: “It’s everything. The way the team play, the level of the players [here], the new manager and for me also it’s a new challenge. I’m 23-years-old now and I feel I am ready for this new challenge. It’s the best league for me so I can’t say no to this team.”
Edouard also described the chance to work with Patrick Vieira as a key factor in his joining the club.
Odsonne Edouard said: “He’s a French legend. In France, everyone knows him, so for me, it’s big to play for him and I’m looking forward to progressing a lot with him.”
The new signing went onto reveal he’d been watching some of Crystal Palace’s matches this season, including their most recent Premier League game against West Ham – “it was a good win for the team with two beautiful goals.” His aim to now is to hit the ground running by scoring goals in the Premier League.
Odsonne Edouard said: “[This] is maybe the biggest challenge in my career. But I’m confident in myself and my teammates to be successful.”
