Crystal Palace winger Sullay Kaikai wants more first-team chances

Crystal Palace's exciting young winger Sullay Kaikai is hoping for first-team opportunities after impressing in pre-season.

The 20-year old finished as Palace's top scorer in pre-season with four goals and is eager to impress manager Alan Pardew after earning his Premier League debut on the final day of last season. 

Following successful loan spells at Shrewsbury and Cambridge United, Kaikai is keen to force his way into Pardew's selection plans this season.

"I learned a lot just from that half, it was great to see what the Premier League was all about," he told the club's website. "I've been trying to implement the new stuff I learned from that game into my own.

"That's always the aim for me: to get first-team football at Palace. I've grown up here and I love the club, so it's my end goal to play in the first-team here and hopefully do really well."

The south London club lost wideman Yannick Bolasie to Everton earlier this week in a deal worth up to £28m, a move which could leave the door open for Kaikai to make an impact.

Andros Townsend arrived from Newcastle this summer as part of Palace's recruitment drive, but Kakai believes he has a different playing style to the England international.

"I like to come in off the line and get my shots off, so that in that sense I'm like Andros," he said. "But I like to think that I have my own identity, that I play differently and bring something different."

Kaikai also spoke of the challenge he faces trying to contend with the likes of fellow attackers Wilfried Zaha, Jason Puncheon, Bacary Sako and Townsend himself, for a place in the Palace team.

He said: "In training every day you can see the qualities that they have. They're looking to impress the manager and I need to make sure I'm up to that level to compete for a starting place."

Palace travel to White Hart Lane on Saturday looking for a first win of the season after slipping to a 1-0 defeat at home to West Brom on the opening day.