TY-ME TO REMEMBER
Tyrick Mitchell celebrates England call-up after tough rise with Brentford academy heartbreak and his dad in prison
TYRICK MITCHELL has continued his meteoric rise with his first call-up to the England squad.
The Crystal Palace defender, 22, was picked by Gareth Southgate as a replacement for the injured Reece James.
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And with only Luke Shaw and Kyle Walker-Peters as full-backs in the squad, Mitchell could win his first cap along with Palace team-mate Marc Guehi.
It has been quite a ride for Mitchell since making his full professional debut during Project Restart in the summer of 2020.
Since that start in a 2-0 defeat to Wolves Mitchell has gone on to become a mainstay in the Palace team.
Patrick Vieira even trusted him enough to let Patrick Van Aanholt leave last summer without signing a replacement.
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Remarkably, since January 5 2021, Mitchell has missed just eight minutes of Premier League football and has formed quite the partnership with Eagles winger Wilfred Zaha - another academy graduate.
It has been far from easy for the left-back to reach this point however, with Mitchell revealing his journey to the top has made him more humble.
In an interview with he said: "I always had a plan that somehow I’ve got to … I had tunnel vision.
“There was nothing going to stop me. Sometimes you detour and don’t focus as much but I always make sure that no one is going to influence me or put me on the wrong track to not succeed.
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"It hasn’t been the easiest of routes but that’s what makes everything more special and humbling to me. It came from nothing and it wasn’t easy – I think that is a big part of the person I am today. I try to stay humble and cherish every moment.”
"Difficult" upbringing
Mitchell grew up with his mother and sister in Harrow, north-west London, and has had only sporadic contact with his father, who has spent time in prison.
But he found a passion in football at an early age and despite being rejected at a trial with Watford under-10s, he teamed up with AFC Wembley and coach Abdi Farah, who became his mentor and is now his agent.
Mitchell credits Farah with his rise, with the coach stepping when he realised the teenager was struggling to get to training.
Mitchell said of his childhood: “It was difficult and for a lot of people around me in the area it was probably the same.
“The single-parent aspect was massive for me. I feel like it made me a better person. I didn’t take anything for granted. It gave me that pride where now I am in a position where I can help the people around me, and no one has to worry about anything.
"They (AFC Wembley) helped me getting to training and staying focused on my dream. They played a massive role in getting me to where I am today.
"Obviously as a young person you love playing football but when you’re younger the whole professional aspect is hard to grasp. Like being punctual and things like that. It’s not like just going outside and kicking a ball with your friends."
Brentford setback
Another event that threatened to derail Mitchell was Brentford closing down their academy, just two months after Mitchell received his first contract.
Then aged 16, Mitchell was ready to kick on to the next stage of his development, which is perhaps why he described that period as one of the hardest in his life.
But in the same month, May 2016, Palace came knocking with academy director Gary Issott meeting him at hotel days after the Eagles were beaten in the FA Cup final.
Now Mitchell and Palace will be returning to Wembley to face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, with the youngster describing how Issott set the wheels in motion.
He added: "From the first meeting with Gary, there was a plan .It was like: ‘We have these people in front of you; this person might go and this person will stay.’
"I prefer someone to tell me how it is – tell me that I’ve got to get past this player.
"I feel like I’m a good judge of character and sometimes when people speak you feel their energy and believe what they are saying. That was the kind of vibe that I got with Gary and here we are today.”
Dream come true
Less than four years after that meeting Mitchell made his Premier League debut, which he described as a dream.
He said: "You don’t even get to sit down and focus on the feeling [before coming off the bench], it just all hits you at one time.
“It was a proud moment, realising I’d come through all the battles – the injuries, the battles of life, making a dream a reality."
Now Mitchell is preparing for another huge milestone as he prepares for his first taste of England action, and his first minutes at Wembley.
He could have the extra buzz of playing alongside team-mates Guehi and Conor Gallagher, with the defender suggesting the talent pool at Selhurst Park runs deep.
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Mitchell said: “I think there is going to be a massive production of players coming through (at Palace).
“There is nothing you can’t get at Palace that you will get at another club. It’s crazy. I won’t be surprised if the whole of the south play for Palace.”
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