Valencia-born midfielder who wants to play for Nigeria joins Derby County from Crystal Palace

Through a statement on the official website, FA Cup winners Crystal Palace have announced that Valencia-born midfielder David Ozoh has been loaned out to EFL Championship club Derby County.

Ozoh is rejoining The Rams on a season-long loan, after spending last season at Pride Park Stadium.

However, his loan spell was cut short after suffering an injury which saw him miss the rest of the campaign.

Ozoh made twelve appearances in all competitions during his loan spell at Derby County, scoring his first senior goal in a 3-0 win over Bristol City back last August.

The 20-year-old also found the net in a pre-season friendly against Spanish side Real Valladolid.

In January 2023, the midfielder etched his name into Palace’s record books as their youngest Premier League player, before going on to win the 2023-2024 Premier League International Cup with the club’s U21 side at Selhurst Park.

Eligible for Spain, England and Nigeria, Ozoh has played five matches for the Young Lions at U18 level.

However, the Palace academy graduate is open to representing the Nigerian national teams.

"Yes, I would accept a call-up to Nigeria's U20 national team, but I have not been contacted by a representative from the Nigeria Football Federation," Ozoh told allnigeriasoccer.com after his Premier League debut in 2023.

"I look up to John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses. Mikel because he was the captain of Nigeria and Moses because he is a product of the Crystal Palace academy."

Ozoh made 12 appearances for Crystal Palace during the 2023-2024 campaign, including nine in the Premier League.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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