CRYSTAL Palace have secured the long-term future of teenage prodigy Reise Allassani after the youngster signed his first professional contract with the club.

The 16-year-old has penned a deal that will come into effect on his 17th birthday and that will keep him at Selhurst Park for another two and half seasons.

A host of Premier League clubs had been chasing the England schoolboy international but, after meeting with Eagles boss Dougie Freedman, the youngster elected to sign the offer on the table.

The deal is believed to be the largest offer ever made to a Palace youth team graduate but academy manager Gary Issott believes the Bromley-born attacking midfielder is worth the money.

"It is fantastic news for the club," he said. "He is a real success story and has been here since the age of eight and we have developed him over the last nine years.

"He is a local lad who lives in Bromley and has represented England at U16 and Ireland at U15 level. We are very proud of him and he is someone that we are hoping will go on and do great things for the club.

"Reise had an opportunity to maybe look elsewhere at other clubs and as an U16 schoolboy you can do that. We had a number of Premier League clubs that bid for Reise but in the end he has seen the progression path here. With the players that we have produced it is a great opportunity for him to start his professional career."

Palace boss Freedman met the hot-prospect and his parents in the days before the deal was signed, and Issott claimed the meeting was vital in convincing the player to continue his development in South London.

"The manager met the parents, met the player and he was a big sort of influence on Reise staying here," he added. "What we have here and especially even more so since the new manager has come in is that the players are so close to that first team environment.

"The manager often comes over to see them train, watches games and if the players are good enough there is then an opportunity to train and play in the first team squad. At other clubs that isn't the case."

Allassani was part of the England U16 team that won the Victory Shield last November, a competition that was made even more memorable when he came off the bench to score a stunning goal against Wales from the edge of the box.

"He is a very good technical player with a good first touch, a great dribbler and a clever player," added Issott.

The player is the latest talented youngster to come through the Eagles youth system, following in the footsteps of John Bostock, Victor Moses, Nathaniel Clyne, Sean Scannell, Wilfried Zaha and Jonathan Williams.