I had a bad day, as I sometimes do when I skip my morning coffee and one thing after another just keeps coming up all wrong. However, I found the cure for my early symptoms of cold January rage when I started reading old questions people had sent me here. I owe you all endless amount of smiles and happiness you have brought to me today and so often. I realised even unreasonable parking attendants can never take some things away from me.

I have always Palace. Strength in a person comes from what he holds dear to himself. You can carry that everywhere. Being a player in a club can never really be a love affair but it certainly becomes a part of you in six years. Sometimes even more. In football – as in life - everything is what you make of it. I have been blessed to be an Eagle at my life time. Not because Selhurst Park would feel like my truest home, Croydon my favorite ever place or Crystal Palace football club the greatest dream come through as a footballer. However, I can’t imagine anything better than what I experienced with the Eagles. On and off the pitch.

Time can make memories more golden than actual trophies won. As does reflections from people. I am not easily out of words. Talking about hard issues has never been a problem for someone who can write in a national paper details about the death of his grandfather or declares his undying love to Angelina Jolie. However, it has taken me a long time to come in terms with leaving Crystal Palace football club. I have been thankful but also afraid of all the messages and questions I have received after I made my decision to leave the club which had become a very much part of me. What is a worthy answer after such a long and colorful path together?

Change is inevitable. I was privileged and worked hard to stay in the club longer than two sets of furniture. I am sure I would have still survived another sofa setting as I did over hundred team mates, ten physioterapists, seven managers, around 200 games, a promotion and relegation during my time at the club. Just to make the record straight, I always got an indication from the Chairman that I would be part of his club next season too but I expressed my wish to leave early on not to make any disturbance for our promotion campaign back then. It was an extremely hard decision, and even if in my last season I had some issues on and off the pitch the deciding factors to leave were personal reasons. I had come to a point I needed to move from London and I couldn’t even think of playing for another English club then so I left UK. I hope people understand and respect this now as well as the Chairman did. I have been told a lot of things about him, but as far as I’m concerned, apart from his lousy banter and dress sense he is good as gold for Palace and we always respected each other personally and professionally. He even described me in his column as committed, hardworking, totally engaging and completely bonkers. That was one of the best reviews and compliments I received in England and I am sure he can mirror those adjectives to himself. I wish him all the best in football and in life, plus that he would get rid of that hair style.

I am now close to home in Sweden but still follow weekly news and results from SE25. I don’t think the link between a club and a player should break after he joins another club. I changed from a player of Palace to a supporter of the club. I have been filled with joy about the recent form of the mighty Eagles and what the club has become. When I joined Palace it was struggling and had only few games to avoid relegation to the second division. Years of uncertain results, economy and leadership were deep in the club. I am extremely proud and happy I left a Premiership -worthy club. Literarily everything from training ground showers to general ambitions has changed for better and I had the luxury of being part of that progress from muddy Stockport to the heights of the Premiership. I see and hope for a great future to the club.

I carried the shirt with pride. I gave what I had. Someone can question some performances or the quality of football wasn’t always there. However, I will offer a pint or thicker glasses to anyone in the club who dares to question my commitment, loyalty or work rate for the club. Results, performances and times varied - as they do in Crystal Palace - but I can stand behind every day I had the opportunity to work as an Eagle. I think that is why I felt such a good rapport with the supporters. Passion attracts itself. Crystal Palace is full of that. My biggest victory was to be surrounded by so many good people and win friends for life. Thank You.