Jack Hunt if I remember correctly he damaged ankle ligaments reporting for his first day at Selhurst, may have been jumping off a bus.

Never played for us and dragged it out for 18 months.

Has just finished 3 good seasons with Bristol City (115 apps) and is a free agent.

As far as I am aware,Hunt got injured in training.

I may be correct, I read it in the Croydon Advertiser and it stuck in my memory due to the absurdity.

Glad he made something of his career anyway.

Seems about right. Poor kid, must really be testing him mentally as much as physically. He knows Palace like him, as they waited and went back in for him after he first got injured at WBA, but he must also be acutely aware that the club can't wait forever.

I'm sure it's also crossed his mind that were it not for his last injury, this would be his time, what with both ward and Clyne out of contract and the club looking to build a new young team.

We had a vacancy for a young right back when we sold AWB, and injury prevented ferguson from taking the opportunity. We have a vacancy now, and injury has prevented ferguson from taking it. How many more times will the chance be there for him before Palace have to move on?

The other great unknown is whether ferguson will make a full recovery. These injuries might affect him physically in a direct way (reduce his pace or mobility), indirectly (players who suffer with one big injury can seem more susceptible to apparently unrelated, but significant injuries afterwards. I often wonder if this is due to the long term absence of full contact training and games), and of course he is missing out on what might be critical periods of development and experience in his fledgling career. He could have 30 or 40 games for us under his belt by now,building on what he learned in the Championship with West Brom, but all of that has been disrupted.

I appreciate the logic in signing both Ward and Clyne for at least one more year to give ferguson time, but there is possibly more sense in pursuing a new young right back now, and treating ferguson as a bonus if he can come good - we don't even know if he's good enough for us yet.