Jesurun Rak-Sakyi reflects on Loan Life in Sheffield

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4 hours ago

Going on loan is a golden opportunity for any youth player at the start of their career. It’s an introduction to first-team football, giving them the chance to develop themselves and their game at a rapid rate.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi made the move to Championship side Sheffield United back in August, following a strong pre-season in which he scored three goals in two games for Palace.

He has since gone on to become a fan favourite at Bramall Lane, getting regular minutes and playing a key role in the Blades’ push for promotion back to the Premier League.

In the first of a three-part series called Loan Life, Palace TV caught up with Rak-Sakyi, getting an unprecedented insight into his loan spell.

We also hear the thoughts of his manager Chris Wilder and Crystal Palace Director of U21 Development Mark Bright midway through his loan spell in South Yorkshire.

Watch below!

Loan Life: Jesurun Rak-Sakyi | Episode One

“Jes had to look at the teams who were asking for him to go to them on loan and work out the best place that he felt he might play and start, and he chose Sheffield United,” Bright explained.

Continuing on the process of getting the loan over the line, Wilder added: “I knew about Jes from his loan period at Charlton Athletic, when they were in League One, so I know how well he did there and I knew a couple of people there at the time as well.

“Position-specific, he was what we were looking for. Jes ticked all the boxes. He was on our radar for quite a while. We understood that and, from our point of view, we had to sell what our football club was about.”

Rak-Sakyi’s loan spell in 2022/23 at Charlton saw him score 15 goals and register 10 assists in 49 games across all competitions, winning the club’s Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year awards.

The forward was also nominated for the EFL's Young Player of the Season award after a standout campaign in League One for The Addicks.

“Obviously it's a step up from League One. Just playing at this level in the Championship, the intensity is very high,” said Rak-Sakyi.

“There are a lot of good players in the league so I’m just trying to be better than I was in the previous week, and building game by game is really helping my development.

“I'm in better shape now than I was last season and just playing week in, week out is obviously good for my development. It's good for the team as well, because I have good support and good players around me which makes it easier for me when I step out on the pitch.”

Barring an injury which kept him out for a month, Rak-Sakyi has featured in every game he has been fit for across all competitions – scoring six goals and assisting two at the time of writing.

He netted in the 3-0 win over Oxford United, the game which features in the Loan Life episode, which at the time sent the Blades to the top of the Championship table.

“He took his goal really well and could have scored another goal. He had a better chance earlier and pulled it wide, but lots of touches in the first half, lots of touches in the second," said Bright on Rak-Sakyi’s performance.

“They dominated the game, they're very disciplined as a team and the manager does what he does - he changes the forwards on 60-62 minutes so you can tell if you don't score, you're going to be annoyed, but I think he's done enough.

“He puts them on top of the table and they're very happy with him as well. All the staff have told me, the coaches, the manager, how happy they are, what a great person and great player he is.”

Elaborating on his tactical methods, Wilder added: “The way the game goes now, especially how we play, with the amount of energy, the intensity of the Championship and how we want the players to play, the majority of changes are made at the top of the pitch.”

Rak-Sakyi buys into the approach, saying: “It's a long season, there's a lot of games so he wants to keep us as fresh as he can, because we're a pressing team and he wants the intensity.

“When we're pressing teams we have to be aggressive all game for 90 minutes. Obviously, I’ve mostly been playing for 60 minutes.”

Wilder continued to wax lyrical about Rak-Sakyi, saying: “We'd like him to contribute with goals and assists, we brought him in to do that, but there's a defensive aspect of it as well that he's got to be responsible for as well.

“Generally we want him to enjoy his time here, to enjoy the experience, and to enjoy playing at a fabulous football club. He's come from a great club, and hopefully he's seen us in that light as well and come to play well, gain experience and win, which he has.”

Watch the full episode of Loan Life above – and keep a look out for Episode Two, centred on Owen Goodman's loan to AFC Wimbledon, coming soon on Palace TV!

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