Crystal Palace have been championing youth since the arrival of Patrick Vieira last summer, and this change of tack in recruitment saw the Eagles deliver some of their most exciting and entertaining football in many a year throughout last season.

However, the promising performances of the last Premier League campaign have struggled to carry through into the current campaign, as the Eagles are currently teetering on the edge of the relegation zone in 17th place with just six points collected over their first seven top-flight outings.

Indeed, the squad is suffering from several injury issues to established players, with Joachim Andersen, James McArthur and Nathaniel Clyne all doubts to feature against Leeds United this weekend. However, there are ways in which Vieira could reignite the Eagles' more impressive form of the past few months.

Injecting some fresh perspectives into the team is one way that the Palace manager can give his side the boost that they need, and it is clear that he is already considering some of the youth talents rising through the ranks of the academy.

Youth goalkeeper Owen Goodwin was spotted in training at Copers Cope Road with the senior squad this week. The same is true for 16-year-old Jake Grante, who could be the Eagles' next version of Andersen if he continues his blossoming development at the south London club.

The talented teenage defender has clearly caught the eye of the Palace manager with his performances for the under-18 side, which is an extremely promising sign for Grante, who has been with the club's academy since 2014.

Making five appearances in the youth team so far this season, the gem will surely be highly motivated to continue excelling after being invited to join the first-team training session, and he is already being noticed on the international stage too.

Grante, who is noted as a ball-playing centre-back by Crystal Palace's official website, earned his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland under-16s for a tournament in Serbia in April, further illustrating that he is one to watch for the future at the south London club.

That ball-playing trait, along with his position on the field, marks him out as having echoes of Andersen. The Denmark international has completed the second-most passes in Vieira's squad so far this season (269) and also ranks in the 83rd percentile for passes made among positional peers in Europe's top five leagues over the past 12 months.

With that in mind, the future is looking bright for the 16-year-old, and it may only be a matter of time before we see him featuring in the first-team squad, with the potential of one day becoming the successor in Andersen's centre-back position should he continue to flourish in the academy and on the international stage.