Former midfielder Shaun Derry has returned to Crystal Palace as a coach at the Academy.
Derry initially joined from Portsmouth in 2002 and helped the Eagles win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs two years later.
He came back via Leeds in 2007 and was part of the side that secured their Championship status on the final day of the 2009/10 season.
Palace say his professional development coach role “will see him work alongside older age-group players aiming to ease player progression from development to senior football”.
“It means the world to me,” he told the Palace website. “This is a club that gave me a brilliant opportunity as a player, as a 24-year-old and I spent two or three years here, experienced some brilliant highs and some lows along the way.
“Then coming back as a 30-year-old as a different type of player and again witnessing some incredible moments. I can tell a story to the younger players and hopefully that will be valuable for them.”
The 41-year-old has managed Notts County and Cambridge United and was first-team coach at Oxford United.
He joins former players Richard Shaw, Darren Powell, Robert Quinn and Paddy McCarthy at the Beckenham Academy complex.
Welcome back Sean – but do we really need five coaches at the Academy. There are complaints about the players’ wages bill but how much do this lot cost?