It hasn't been easy at Crystal Palace so far for Zavier Gozo. Not that he expected it to be.
Gozo has been in and out of Palace's squad since making a reported $15 million move from Real Salt Lake in August, playing just 45 total minutes thus far.
The 19-year-old has made three appearances for Palace, all of which have come off the bench. He's been an unused sub once in the Premier League and left out of the squad twice entirely. He was also omitted from Palace's roster for the Europa League.
Gozo's only start and goal for Palace so far came with the club's under-21 side.
The teenager enjoyed a meteoric rise in MLS, where he earned his first All-Star Game selection this summer shortly before moving to the Premier League. For Gozo, the move has been
an adjustment both on and off the field.
"It's a whole new thing for me," Gozo said on Thursday, Sept. 24 from U.S. men's national team camp, having just received his first senior call-up.
"I've never lived away from home. I've never been anywhere else but Utah. So being in a city like London, a big city, and obviously in a different country, has been a big adjustment."
One of the biggest on-field adjustments for Gozo has been playing in a more attack-minded role, having featured mostly as a wingback for Real Salt Lake this year. The positional shift, combined with the step up in competition, has turned Gozo from an automatic starter in MLS to a bit-part player – at least for now.
But for the 19-year-old, that's what he expected, and perhaps even what he wanted.
"I thought it was the right time to move to Crystal Palace just because of my age," he said. "I (thought) moving over there as quick as possible would be the best thing for me, even if I'm not starting games immediately. You don't expect to just go from MLS to the Premier League and win the Golden Boot or be the best player in the league.
"It was just about development for me and being in a high-level environment – going from being one of the best players on my team in MLS and going back to being, you know, the worst player on the team again."
Luckily for Gozo, he does have a fellow American at Palace to help guide him. Chris Richards is a mainstay for the Eagles and now Gozo's teammate with the USMNT as well.
"The main thing that I was very impressed with is that he wants to learn every day," Richards said on Thursday.
"Not every day is going to be perfect, but if you go in with that mindset every training, wanting to learn, wanting to get better, then I think you're one step ahead."
Next up for Gozo is his USMNT debut, which should come in the coming days with four games on the schedule. His first national team camp has been an adjustment as well, but he's trying to take it all in while raising his game in the process.
"It's been kind of surreal, but also, obviously, I want to play with the national team and compete for a spot here too," Gozo said. "So I'm trying to learn, but also be competitive."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From star to 'worst player': Gozo faces steep learning curve at Crystal Palace
