With the historic tradition going back as far as 1854, Crystal Palace Football Club has certainly made its mark on English football. We had some memorable players on our side over the years coming and going. Some of the ex-Eagles stayed in business after their career had ended, some turned to regular activities and normal lives. Others started looking for new and exciting adventures.
The legend lives on
First and foremost, a story about our most notable players should start with two names. It isn’t exactly a trip down memory lane, as their legacy is still very much in the making. The gentlemen in question are, obviously, Gareth Southgate and Roy Hodgson. The latter, at the moment, is right where he started but in a very much different role. His professional football career began at the club, and since 2017 he has been appointed as head manager.
Southgate seems to be following a similar path. He has made 152 appearances as a Crystal Palace player over four seasons. Although his history as a manager has much fewer steps than Hodgson’s, it also involves taking over the English national team, which he will lead in the upcoming UEFA Euro 2020.
Deal me in
Jimmy Kébé did not make a dramatic impact during his stay at Selhurst Park but deserves to be mentioned here as a curiosity. Injuries and managerial changes at Palace made his career here uneventful. He only managed to play in six matches before he left the club. However, the player’s total of seven years spent in various teams in England resulted in him developing a taste for poker card games. He used to play a lot on coach rides along with other players, and he realized he had a knack for it.
Establishing a successful online strategy in this game isn’t easy, not to mention keeping your emotions in place and outplay the opponents at competitive live tournaments. All the more praise to former footballer for transitioning to this particular discipline. Kébé is currently enjoying himself at live events all over the world but is yet to make a name for himself.
Getting busy
There’s no way to keep track of all the former players who proudly wore Palace’s jerseys, but surely a few examples can bring back a smile on fans’ faces as there are some of the colorful personalities to remember. For instance, Bruce Dyer uses his football days to promote charities, Simon Rodger is a private chauffeur, and Neil Ruddock tried his luck with reality TV shows. Former keeper Nigel Martyn has done some media work and was a coach to lower leagues. Bobby Bowry once helped the club to win the old First Division and now is a football agent, having Premier League and Football League stars as clients.
