Despite being around the block so to speak when it comes to football clubs, English midfielder Jason Puncheon thinks he has found stability in his move to Selhurst Park and it was a move that can help his England career, according to the South London Press.
When moving to Selhurst Park, including his initial loan, Puncheon made his 11th transfer in his career. Over the past two years, the ex-Southampton man has enjoyed being back at where he calls home and has really progressed.
Now in his third season at the Eagles, the real question is what’s next for the midfielder. The Croydon-born playmaker was named by Palace boss Alan Pardew as the pick of the squad in the second half of last season. And now, the ex-Newcastle boss has tipped his star to make it into Roy Hodgson’s England side in the near future.
It’s clear to see just how much Puncheon has progressed when you reflect on the fact that 9 years ago, he was playing for Fisher Athletic and Lewes. He then started to rebuild at Barnet – where his career really got underway.
Puncheon, who was also an apprentice at AFC Wimbledon, only made to make a real stamp on football when he was at Southampton, according to his current boss who was also the manager at St Mary’s too.
I always had the ability, said Puncheon. Football is a lot to do with your mindset.
Managers say to you it is not always about ability – just because you have ability, you think it is. You don’t really listen to that when you are 18 or 19.
You try and put those pieces together and it helps you. It’s helped me, definitely, as I’ve got older. I probably wouldn’t change it for any other way. Yes, I would have liked to have played in the Premier League at a younger age – or had more longevity – but I can’t change that. I can only change the future.
I try and help all the kids that walk through the building in any little way I can. I’ve been in the position and situations you’re in at that age – 17, 18 or 19. You want to always be training with the first team and you’re not. Or things are not right for you off the field, you bring that in and people look at you like you’ve got attitude.
On New Years Day in 2011, Puncheon damaged the Eagles by netting a hat-trick for the Lions. At the end of that game, Palace boss at the time George Burley was sacked in the tunnel.
But now, Puncheon looks settled with life at the Eagles as the club have rewarded his hard work and effort with a long-term deal until 2019.
I was really happy to commit, he said. I’m at home here but, more importantly, the club want to move forward in the things they are doing with the infrastructure of the club. That’s important to me. I wanted to be part of that journey.
Crystal Palace and Southampton were the most settled I’ve been in football. You can see that with the way I played. Definitely here, more so with my mum and my nan. With footballers, you’ve got to be able to adapt as well. I’ve been different places – like when I was at Blackpool for six months.
I got my nut down and still worked hard and played really well. But it’s the whole ethos of going away from training and knowing you are home that is a good thing for me.
The club is doing everything the right way since I’ve been here. They’ve tried to move it forward each year and I think we’ve done that. This year is another big one for us to go and prove ourselves again and go one better. If we can do that, great.
