Palace see the scheme as a way of securing first-team football for their youth players

Crystal Palace have become the first club in the Premier League to write to lower league clubs to offer them loan players for free, but only if they are picked for the team.

The offer has been sent to all clubs in Sky Bet League One, League Two and those in the National League. It was made amid growing discontent among lower-league sides at the amount that top-flight clubs are charging for loan players.

A Palace source told The Times that the move was seen as a way of ensuring that as many of their young players as possible experience first-team football.

Mark Bright, the club’s director of under-23 development, has written to the club chairmen outlining the new policy of sending out loan players