Not doing well”: Player now finds himself rock bottom of the league after £1m Crystal Palace exit in….
Not doing well”: Player now finds himself rock bottom of the league after £1m Crystal Palace exit in August
Former Crystal Palace defender Jake O’Brien made a surprising move to Ligue 1 side Lyon in the summer, but it has been anything but plain sailing for him in France.
The centre-back became the first Irish player to appear in the French top flight since 2000, and it was an interesting move for the former Crystal Palace academy star, but his side are winless and are in a full-blown crisis.
O’Brien made 28 appearances for Palace under-21s but failed to make a single appearance for the first team, and embarked on a number of loan spells elsewhere before joining Lyon for £1m this summer.
Jake O’Brien’s struggles at Lyon
Lyon, one of the biggest clubs in France, and Champions League semi-finalists three years ago, are currently bottom of the table with no wins in their opening nine matches.
O’Brien has played in three of these matches: a 2-0 loss to Stade De Reims, a 3-3 draw with FC Lorient, and a 2-1 loss to Clermont Foot.
The 22-year-old spoke to The Athletic about the start to the season, and he also explained how the club’s ‘ultra’ fans have an impact on his team.
“The ultras drive it here with the fans,” he stated.
“We’re not doing well, so they’re telling us what they think. I don’t blame them because they haven’t been in this situation before. They have the right to speak. It’s about being respectful to them and the best way is to do it on the pitch. Hopefully, we can give back to them.”
The 1.97m tall defender is the first player to move between Crystal Palace and Lyon in recent years, with John Textor, a minority owner in both clubs, playing a “major role” in the deal.
Getting £1m for a defender who had not played for the club was good business at the time, and given Lyon’s struggles, it is not a deal Palace will regret any time soon. The club brought in Rob Holding for a similar fee, whilst Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi have arguably been the two best performers this season.
O’Brien will now hope that Lyon can turn their form around under World Cup winner Fabio Grosso, and he will aim to earn a regular starting spot.
