Thursday marked a proud day for Mateta beyond just Palace’s inaugural win in a major European competition proper, with the 28-year-old receiving his first-ever call-up to the senior France squad – a reward for a remarkable last two years in South London.
Last summer, at his home Olympics in Paris, Mateta made Palace history by becoming the first-ever player to win an Olympic medal – silver – while playing for the club, scoring seven times in nine games for France's representative side over the course of the summer.
“I saw it on TV,” Mateta said of his call-up. “Maxence [Lacroix] said today they will call you, and you come to my room! We watched together the list when Didier Deschamps was talking, and he said my name.
“I feel very, very happy and it's like a dream come true. I hope I will stay a long time with this team and help them to win.
“We have a game today, we had to be focused. The team congratulated me. They clapped for me, they were happy for me.
“I hope if I play, I hope I will help the team there to win. Of course, I will come back with confidence. I always have confidence. I think it will bring me more confidence.
“The Olympics [last summer] was a good experience. I think now it's different because it’s qualification for the World Cup. It's good, the Olympics was very good, it was superb – but now it’s a different thing.”
On his impressive form under Oliver Glasner, whom he has scored 34 goals in 70 games since the Austrian’s arrival – just under a goal every other game – Mateta said: “He always told me just to work hard – and you will get your call. I kept working hard and I got my call.
“He was happy for me, like the team. He congratulated me in front of everyone. He was happy for me.”
Match Details
Everton v Crystal Palace
