The new Crystal Palace player has the innate ability and confidence on the ball to excel at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace are quietly and efficiently building a very exciting squad this summer, and the recent addition of Jairo Riedewald is one such example.
New Eagles boss Frank de Boer wasted little time reuniting with his former Ajax player and on early evidence the 20-year-old looks every inch a Palace star in the making.
He may be young, but the Dutchman has been schooled in the footballing arts by one of its grand masters – an Ajax academy that continues to produce gems at an impressive rate even if they are not the all-conquering European behemoth they once were.
You only had to watch last season’s Europa League final to see the next wave of young talent coming off the conveyor belt, holding their own on one of the biggest stages of them all.
Riedewald was among the players on show that night, but he is now at Palace and he has wasted no time showing what he can do.
The new Palace defender has looked solid since his arrival, his composure on the ball brilliant for one so young, and while the Premier League is considerably tougher than a few summer friendlies, Riedewald can quickly become one of the first names on the Eagles’ team sheet.
As well as composure with the ball at his feet, Riedewald also has the pace to recover when opponents get past him or if – as young players are prone to do – he makes a rash decision.
In time De Boer will iron those out of his game yet for now the new Palace defender has the attributes to compensate for his inexperience.
With ball-players in defence, Palace can now build from the back and that will positively impact everything further forward.
If another former Ajax graduate arrives at Palace on loan in the form of Timothy Fosu-Mensah, as is being reported by the BBC, expect the Eagles to soar this season.
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