Seventeen-year-old striker Benji Casey has enjoyed a blistering start to the 2025/26 season, finding the net with remarkable consistency.
His tally of 11 goals so far includes consecutive hat-tricks against Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town — performances that have not only caught the eye but also earned him a well-deserved step up to Under-21 level.
Casey's clinical finishing has been an important factor in Palace Under-18s’ strong start to the campaign.
He has scored in all six of their competitive fixtures to date, helping the side climb to second in the U18 Premier League South table — just behind leaders Arsenal, and narrowly ahead of Chelsea, who have a game in hand.
While the season is still in its infancy, the standings already suggest a tightly contested title race. With fine margins likely to prove decisive, Palace’s current goal difference of +17 — owed in large part to Casey’s prolific vein of form — could yet prove crucial.
The young forward also leads the division’s goalscoring charts, with 10 goals to his name in league play alone. Southampton’s Harry Gathercole sits second on seven — underlining just how impressive Casey’s early-season exploits have been.
We sat down with Benji to talk through his remarkable form, life in the Academy, and his ambitions for the season ahead...
Reflecting on the team’s strong start to the season, Casey was quick to credit the togetherness within the squad and the impact of new U18s manager Javier Alonso.
“It's been very good, just as a team,” he said. “We've worked very hard in the pre-season, especially with the new coach coming in, Javier Alonso.
“He’s told us about playing as a team, pressing, counter-attacking as well. For me personally, I just practiced a lot over pre-season, just on my finishing touches — first touch, two-touch, just getting on my feet and sliding the ball past the keeper.
“That's pretty much how I found my form.”
