Former Crystal Palace striker Connor Wickham has opened up on the mental impact of spending almost 18 months without a club and his determination to return to English football.
The 33-year-old joined Palace from Sunderland for £9m in 2015 and appeared to be approaching his peak during his second season at Selhurst Park.
However, Wickham ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during a 5-4 defeat at Swansea City in November 2016. Further setbacks followed, and he never started another Premier League match for the Eagles.
Speaking in an extensive interview with Sky Sports, Wickham admitted the injury altered the direction of his career.
Palace injury changed Wickham’s career
Wickham had started to establish himself in Alan Pardew’s side before suffering the serious knee injury.
He made only one brief substitute appearance between November 2016 and Christmas 2018. A Read Crystal Palace report from his rehabilitation detailed how the striker had suffered ligament and cartilage damage during the incident.
Wickham believes his career could have followed a very different path without the injury. He had already accumulated significant Premier League experience with Sunderland and Palace, making 120 appearances across the two clubs.
A loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday followed, but fitness problems continued. Palace released him in 2021 after he missed the entire 2020/21 season.
Wickham subsequently had shorter periods with Preston North End, MK Dons, Forest Green Rovers, Cardiff City and Charlton Athletic.
His experience remains a reminder of the demands placed on players returning from serious knee problems. Palace defender Chadi Riad has recently spoken about his own difficult rehabilitation before rebuilding his career with club and country.
Wickham struggled during 18 months without a club
Wickham left Charlton in the summer of 2024 but was unable to accept several offers because of personal and family circumstances.
He continued training four or five times each week and remained ready to play. However, the lengthy period without a contract began to affect his relationship with football.
Wickham admitted he reached a stage where he “couldn’t stand watching football” because he still believed he could perform at a professional level.
The striker trained with Bromley before joining a PFA camp for unattached players. He later attracted attention by scoring from inside his own half during a friendly against Manchester United’s Under-21s.
Wickham eventually signed for Dubai City in October 2025. The move provided his first experience abroad, but it also strengthened his desire to return home.
He enjoyed the lifestyle in Dubai but felt English football offered the competitive standards and intensity he still wanted.
Former Palace striker refuses to retire
Wickham is now participating in the PFA’s expanded 2026 pre-season programme, which provides training, conditioning and friendly matches for free agents.
The former England Under-21 international accepts he may need to work harder than other players to earn another opportunity. He remains confident in his fitness and believes he can contribute in the EFL.
His Premier League career may have ended sooner than expected, but Wickham has no plans to announce his retirement.
“I think my career is unfinished,” he said.
For Palace supporters, Wickham’s story will always carry a sense of what could have been. His focus now rests on earning one more opportunity to decide how the final stage of his career will be remembered.
