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Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century | OneFootball

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Hooligan Soccer

·18 December 2024

Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

Players are listed in no particular order, though we have categorized by position from forwards down to goalkeepers, and then by their dates at the club, from oldest to most recent.

Andrew Johnson

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

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  1. Appearances: 140
  2. Goals + Assists: 74 + data not available
  3. The English striker from Bedford joined Palace in 2002, immediately making a name for himself by bagging a hat trick against rivals Brighton in a 5-0 wipeout. His 32 goals in the 2003-04 season propelled the club back into the top flight, though they would tumble down into the 2nd division the following year. In his four years with the Eagles, his goal/appearance ration was an eye-popping 0.53!

Dougie Freedman

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

8 Dec 2001: Dougie Freedman of Crystal Palace celebrates opening the scoring during the Nationwide League Division One match against Manchester City played at Selhurst Park, in London. Crystal Palace won the match 2-1. \ Mandatory Credit: Alex Livesey /Allsport

  • Appearances: 241
  • Goals + Assists: 64 + data not available
  • Glaswegian native Dougie has bounced in and out of Crystal Palace multiple times, with spells from 1995-97 and 2000-08. He’s also unique on this list by earning a spot as player, coach and executive. He managed the club from 2011-12, and currently occupies the Sporting Director seat (where he negotiated the load on Conor Gallagher, locked in the transfers of Marc Guéhi and Michael Olisé, and engineered the appointment of Patrick Viera as manager).

Jordan Ayew

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

Pictured with current club Leicester City

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  1. Appearances: 211
  2. Goals + Assists: 23 + 20
  3. In his five years with Palace, Ayew was lauded for his ferocious workrate and tenacious pressing. Whenever he entered the pitch, the tempo would ratchet upwards. Although he wasn’t a prolific goal-scorer, his energy and drive would contribute to many important goals throughout his tenure.

Wilfried Zaha

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

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  • Appearances: 455
  • Goals + Assists: 90 + 50
  • Arguably one of the most iconic Palace players of recent years, Wilf (as he’s known) spent 11 years with the first team between 2010 and 2023. He’s also a graduate of the Palace academy. His flair, quick pace and creativity were always on display in the blue and red, as was his passion and fire. He won the team’s Player-of-the-Year award three years in a row from 2016-2018.

Michael Olise

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

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  1. Appearances: 82
  2. Goals + Assists: 14 + 22
  3. While his spell at Palace was short (only three seasons), his impact was significant. A slippery, elegant winger, Olise thrilled the Selhurst crowd with his probing runs and deadly shots. Of course, such brilliance also attracted interest from other clubs, and he was transferred to Bayern Munich in 2024 (breaking many a Southern London heart).

Eberechi Eze

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

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  1. Appearances: 125
  2. Goals + Assists: 30 + 21
  3. One of three players in this list who still play with the club (see Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward, below), Eze is known for his skillful dribbling as well as his accuracy off the dead ball. His outstanding free kick against Brentford in the first game of the 2024-25 Premier League season was blown dead by the referee while the ball was still in the air; it will be remembered as the best goal never counted for the season.

Nathaniel Clyne

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

Shown here playing for Southampton

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  • Appearances: 226
  • Clean Sheets: 72
  • Another academy graduate, defender Clyne spent four seasons with the Eagles in the Championship from 2008-12. Spells with Southampton and Liverpool would follow, before his return to Selhurst in 2020 .

Joel Ward

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

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  1. Appearances: 362
  2. Clean Sheets: 100
  3. Goals + Assists: 6 + 9
  4. If I had a dollar for every time I uttered “Good ol’ Wardsie” after one of the center backs trademark blocks, hard tackles, or goal-line clearances… I’d be a rich man. Ward joined the Eagles in 2012 when they sat in the Championship, earned the promotion the following year and has been with the club ever since. Yep, he’s still on the roster after a dozen seasons. That longevity and loyalty make you a legend.

Scott Dann

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

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  • Appearances: 164
  • Clean Sheets: 47
  • A towering center back who put seven Premier League seasons under his belt with the Eagles. He won Player of the Year in the 2014-15 season, and replaced Mile Jedinak as captain the two years later. In addition to his backline leadership and 47 clean sheets, he also has 16 goals and 7 assists, mostly from thumping the ball with that big ol’ melon.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

Pictured here playing for West Ham

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  • Appearances: 42
  • Clean Sheets: 16
  • A Croydon-born academy graduate, Aaron spent two seasons with the Palace first team until transferring to Manchester United for £50 million. A right-wing defender, he’s known for blistering pace on the counter-attack, as well as his one-on-one defending and crunching slide tackles.

Julián Speroni

Article image:Crystal Palace: Top 11 Players in the 21st Century

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  • Appearances: 405
  • Clean Sheets: 108
  • An Argentinian/Italian goalkeeper, Speroni is the only individual to have won Palace’s Player-of-the-Year award four times. He signed in 2004 when the team was promoted to the top flight, and stuck with the club after their relegation in 2005. His long tenure as first-choice keeper was rewarded in 2013 when the club rejoined the Premier League, though he would spend his next six years competing for time with other, younger, keepers.
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