T&T’s Rio Cardines Signs With Crystal Palace

Trinidad and Tobago Under-20 player Rio Cardines has sign his first professional football contract with English Premier League Team, Crystal Palace. Cardines initially joined Palace's Under-16 team in 2022 and quickly progressed up the ranks, scoring on his debut for the Under-18 team against Norwich City in the 2022-23 season. The player would suffered an injury late this past season, but still finished with a strong 27 appearances for the Under-18 and Under-21 teams. Cardines also represented the T&T Under-17 National Team, with his most recent performance being at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championships, where he got one goal in two assists in victories over St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica. The skillful player, who will be hopeful of ending T&T's long standing absence in the English Premier League, added that it's been a long journey and he is proud to have signed his first professional contract.