Having joined the club on 1st July from PSV Eindhoven, the Argentina international goalkeeper declared a lifelong dream was set to be fulfilled in his first interview with the club – which you can watch now, below.
‘My dream is real’: Benítez’s first Palace TV interview
Walter Benítez says the chance to play in the Premier League – in front of supporters as passionate as Crystal Palace’s – is the culmination of a dream come true.
But Benítez also revealed he joined Palace with the ambition of winning silverware to add to last season’s historic FA Cup triumph.
“I'm really happy,” the 32-year-old told Palace TV, speaking at our pre-season training base in Austria. “I know I'm at a big club, with big ambition also, and I'm really happy. I’m enjoying every day with my teammates at this club.
“I remember when I was young, we always wanted to play in the best league. I remember I told my family, one day, I wanted to go and play in the Premier League, because it's the best league in the world. Now I'm here, and my dream is real, so I only enjoy every day.
Having the fans like this is similar [to being] in Argentina
—Walter Benítez
“The fans at Crystal Palace are some of the best in Premier League, and I am excited for being on the pitch and looking at this ambience and enjoying it, because this is also football and having the fans like this is similar [to being] in Argentina, so I really like being in the stadium and enjoying this moment.
“My ambition, of course, is to play, to try to help the team, and also help with my experience for this club. I come here to give my best and try to go together as hard as possible and, of course, play a very good season.
“I know the club won their first trophy last season, and this is fantastic – I hope also we want more trophies together. “
Benítez is not only a serial winner – keeping nine clean sheets as an ever-present in PSV’s Eredivisie title-winning season in 2024/25, having kept 20 in 2023/24 when they also finished first in the league – but also a leader, having previously worn the captain’s armband with OGC Nice on numerous occasions in Ligue 1.
The goalkeeper has already drawn plenty of inspiration from his surroundings in South London, explaining: “The coach [Oliver Glasner] tries to put the intensity and hard work not only on the pitch but also outside it, in the gym, and this is important because we progress more and more.
“This pre-season is an important goal. I see the team is more compact and more together, and I really like also when we train because we try to train hard, and after, it's the same in the game. This I really like because it's my objective, my goals.
“I know now the team, I know a little bit more the club and they have a big ambition. This is for me the most important [thing] because I hope we have a good season – and more trophies for the future.”