FORMER Grays Athletic striker Freddie Ladapo admits he is thrilled to have secured a dream move to Premier league side Crystal Palace.

The 23-year-old signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the Eagles at the end of last week, after impressing the club’s youth team bosses having netted a hat-trick for the under-21s in a 5-0 win against Watford’s young guns.

Ladapo makes the move from National League South outfit Margate, having linked up with the Kent club after a spell at Grays re-ignited his stalling career, and told the Thanet Gazette he was over the moon with the move.

"I'm delighted," he said.

"It was hard work and it took a little while with the trial, but it's done now and I'm happy.

"I've put in a lot of hard work in the past couple of years, I've played a lot of games and I've had success.

"I've been with Palace and when you have an opportunity like this you have to give it your all, you're playing for your future and I tried to grab this chance and it's come off."

The striker netted 17 times in 35 matches for Blues, following his loan move from Kidderminster Harriers at the start of the 2014/15 season.

He is understood to have turned down a move to the National League and Grimsby Town earlier in the year, in a bid to win a deal at a higher level.