Maxence Lacroix: Crystal Palace’s Backbone and a European Star

Crystal Palace’s very own ‘Mr. Reliable’, Maxence Lacroix, is having a cracking season at the age of 25! The Frenchman has been an absolute stalwart, playing every single minute of Palace's Premier League campaign; that’s 22 games, 22 starts, and 22 full 90s. Talk about consistency!

Lacroix has been pivotal under Oliver Glasner, making waves not just in the UEFA Europa Conference League but also in the Premier League. No one in Europe’s top five leagues can boast more than the former Wolfsburg centre-back’s 1980 minutes across all competitions. Impressive stuff, isn't it?

It's a significant season for Lacroix, who’s got his eye firmly set on playing for the French national team at the World Cup next summer. “The France national team is a dream, especially with the World Cup coming up. You want to be a part of that adventure. I watch all of the squad announcements with the hope of being called up,” he shared with L’Équipe last week, just ahead of Palace’s UECL match against RC Strasbourg Alsace.

Lacroix believes that taking on the best strikers in the world every weekend in the Premier League gives him a fighting chance to secure a spot in Didier Deschamps' plans. With him being a regular feature for the Eagles, it looks like he’s set to keep that up right through to the end of the season.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle