Charlton manager Ben Garner has compared Crystal Palace youngster Jesurun Rak-Sakyi to his Eagles team-mate Wilfried Zaha and a legendary Manchester United winger.
Rak-Sakyi is currently on loan with the League One club and has hit the ground running, scoring two goals and grabbing a further two assists in seven appearances.
The 19-year-old will spend the 2022/23 campaign at The Valley, having made his Eagles first-team debut in the 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at the start of last season and come off the bench on the final day of the season, a 1-0 win against Manchester United.
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Garner spent time coaching in the Eagles youth system before making the jump to the first-team and with his knowledge of the south London outfit, sealed a move for the highly promising Rak-Sakyi with Charlton.
The winger's style on the ball and what he does when attacking defenders has seen Garner compare him to Zaha and George Best, seen as one of football's best players of all time.
“Jes [Rak-Sakyi] has a similar ability to Wilf [Zaha] in that they look like maybe they’re going to lose the ball and they toe it through someone’s legs or nick it away," Garner told The Athletic.
“His standout attribute is his wonderful balance and ability to change direction. He’s a little bit of a throwback in some ways — you go back to people like George Best who can beat people without moving the ball. Jes can do that.
“He can beat people with his body movement. He can go both ways, finish off both feet, but he’s also got his eyes up and has got vision. I worked with a lot of players in academy football who were fantastic dribblers but didn’t see movement around them. Jes can carry the ball but he’s got awareness.
“Wilf at the same age was more of an out-and-out dribbler. Jes has a bit of a headstart in that his productivity is ahead of Wilf with how cleanly he strikes the ball and his numbers.”
Rak-Sakyi's Palace contract expires in 2027 after signing a five-year deal in the summer. The winger spent time with the first-team squad during pre-season and played against United and Leeds United before leaving on loan to join Charlton.
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