“It’s a mark of the young man that he got in the car straight after that first appearance, himself and Jack Wells-Morrison, travelled all the way up to Liverpool, got there in the early hours and played a massive part in an excellent team performance and an excellent win.
“It was a hectic week for him but he took it all in his stride so we are delighted.”
Ozoh became Palace’s youngest ever Premier League debutant, coming off the bench at just 17-years-old in front of the home fans at Selhurst Park.
“It’s an unbelievable achievement to make my Premier League debut for the club I love,” Ozoh said as he received his ball. “It was a great moment for me and my family.
“When it happened I played a game straight away at Liverpool so now it has sunk in, it’s a great feeling. I didn’t have enough time to recover and check messages [before], but I couldn’t stop checking my phone. Every minute I was getting messages all the time.
“[The Under-21s] were welcoming – I came back to the Academy ground and all of them came up to me and said: ‘Well done, congratulations’. It’s good having them around me.
“It’s been good [being called up by England Under-18s]. I’ve been adjusting to new tactics, playing, and it’s a great feeling knowing that I'm doing well and getting recognised too so it’s been good.
“[In the future] I want to get more games in the Prem and start.”
Confident in the character of the young midfielder, McCarthy hopes he can push on from this milestone and continue to fulfil his potential.
“He has always stood out – he had unbelievable physical ability matched with great technique,” he said. “His desire to win and his mentality every day to gt better. You could tell straight away that he had potential to go onto great things.
“He is still in the development stage of his career, but I'm sure if he keeps improving as he has over recent years he will go from strength to strength.
“He’s a great character. He is loved by everyone who worked with him. You can see how much the players take to him of all different ages. He is a credit to the football club and the support network around him.
“[He should] just continue enjoying his game. He looks like a player that enjoys coming into Crystal Palace every day. Just continue to enjoy it, take on information that the coaches are giving and next time the opportunity comes, take it.
“I keep drumming in that this is the best job in the world for these young men, he realises that. He looks like he enjoys every day and he just needs to keep taking it all in his stride.”
