Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace will have been impressed by Jamal Lewis’s performance in Norwich City’s Premier League clash with Liverpool.
Norwich City manager Daniel Farke has hailed the recent form of ‘top class’ Jamal Lewis, speaking to Pink’Un, amid speculation linking the left-back with a move to Crystal Palace.
It’s not just at right-back where Roy Hodgson is short of depth. Patrick Van Aanholt’s injury problems over the festive period exposed the lack of cover on the opposite flank too, even if the versatile Jairo Riedeweld did his best to adapt to a rather unfamiliar role on the left-hand side.
According to the Mirror (19 January, page 66), Crystal Palace have identified Lewis as the perfect man to fill a gap in Hodgson’s squad.
At the time, the Luton-born 22-year-old was struggling for game time at Carrow Road. But with Sam Byram suffering what could be a season-ending hamstring injury in Saturday’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Liverpool, Lewis has suddenly been offered a route back into the starting XI.
And, after keeping £38 million goal-machine Mo Salah quiet in East Anglia, Farke is backing the Selhurst Park target to step up to the plate.
“I have to give a big compliment to Jamal Lewis. I got the feeling the last two or three weeks, in training and the cup game, he was top class,” said the former Borussia Dortmund coach.
“But to be thrown in without having time to warm up and then defend against the best winger in the world in Mo Salah was difficult. I was delighted for him.”
With doubts surrounding Van Aanholt’s long-term future at Crystal Palace, amid claims of a potential return to Holland, Lewis looks perfectly placed to step into his shoes.
And with Norwich seemingly sliding towards relegation, for all their eye-catching passing football, the Ireland international might struggle to turn down the chance to extend his stay in the top flight.
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