Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, former defender Nicky Shorey has highlighted how important Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew can be for any club at any level.
During his time at Reading, Pardew agreed a deal with Leyton Orient worth £25,000 to take Shorey to the Madjeski Stadium. The full back went on to feature 261 times for the Royal Blues and also made two appearances for England.
Across all four divisions in the UK, Shorey went on to play over 400 times. Now, the 34-year-old has gone on to state that Pardew was one of the finest managers to work under as a footballer.
For me, he was an amazing manager and I cannot speak highly enough of him.
As a youngster coming through he really instilled confidence and belief in me. He made me want to improve and made me think I could play at the very highest level, even if I didn’t necessarily believe it myself.
What he instilled has stayed with me and he’s definitely one of the best managers I have worked with. He’s a top, top manager and he’s proven that over the last few years in the Premier League.
Pardew’s most-recent job before taking the reigns at Crystal Palace was at Newcastle. However, when he took over at the Eagles, they were relegation candidates. Now, they are targeting a European spot ahead of next season.
Last season, Pardew steered Palace away from the relegation zone and ultimately finished in 10th.
