Yahoo Sports ‘He’s an old-fashioned striker’ – Thierry Henry praises Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta
Thierry Henry will look to rely on Jean-Philippe Mateta (26) as one of his over-aged players for the Olympic Games this summer. The Crystal Palace striker has come off an impressive season with the London club where he scored 16 and assisted five times in his most prolific campaign to date since joining the team in 2021.
It’s form that has been recognised by Crystal Palace’s supporters who voted the Frenchman as their Player of the Year ahead of Jefferson Lerma (29) and Joachim Andersen (28). Henry will hope that Mateta’s development under midseason appointment Oliver Glasner (where he scored nine goals in 11 matches) will be carried through to the national team.
The France U23s coach has had to deal with a number of dropouts and blocked approaches for players in the buildup to the fast-approaching competition, so was happy to talk about one who will almost certainly be at the Summer Games.
Thierry Henry: ‘It seems to me that Mateta’s not too bad’
Henry stated in a press conference, “He’s an old-fashioned striker, you can play a little more direct. He can keep the ball. He’s a boring striker to play against, he doesn’t lose the ball much, and he goes at the last defender. He uses his physicality, he’s good with his head, and he scores. It’s important that a striker like that gives you another dimension. He was also voted Player of the Year at Crystal Palace. It seems to me that he’s not too bad.”
