Crystal Palace are currently enjoying one of the most exciting campaigns in their recent history, and their future prospects are also looking incredibly bright.

England manager Gareth Southgate opened the south London outfit's new Category 1 status youth academy following a £20m investment as they look to capitalise on the plethora of talent on their doorstep.

And they might not have to wait long to see the next homegrown star break into Patrick Vieira's first-team squad.

Scotland U21 international Scott Banks joined Crystal Palace from Scottish Premiership side Dundee United on a three-year deal back in 2020, establishing himself as a key player ever since.

The attacking midfielder scored four goals and provided three assists in 11 outings for Palace's U23s in his maiden campaign, but has taken his game to new heights this term.

Banks was a regular during the capital club's pre-season schedule — scoring against Reading — and was on the bench for their curtain-raiser at Chelsea, prompting Vieira to label him a "really smart kid".

“There are off-season training programmes and the club were really pushing me to come back stronger and fitter,” Banks told Courier Sport. “That’s what I did, and I think I impressed during pre-season.

“That (praise) was surreal! It’s hard to sum up just how amazing that is to hear from someone like that. You need to come back down to earth when you hear comments like that from the manager, especially given what he has achieved in his career."

Since then, Banks has returned to Shaun Derry's U23 setup, but he's continued to shine on a regular basis.

In just ten outings, the 20-year-old has found the back of the net on five occasions, including a brace against Liverpool last time out, and has also laid on two further assists.

With Palace currently enjoying a seven-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, Banks may have to wait patiently for his chance to shine in the first-team, but if he continues on his current path, then Vieira will be forced to present him his opportunity sooner rather than later.

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