Where are they now?

May 29 2018

Steve Mandanda

Hunter Young looks back at the players that left Crystal Palace last summer and where their careers have taken them.

It was a rather busy transfer window in South London over the close season last year with many players leaving upon the conclusion of their deals and a few departing for transfer fees.

Palace will face many similar decisions this time around with first-team stalwarts Yohan Cabaye, Joel Ward and Julian Speroni all out of contract. Many youth players will also face the move to a new club to continue their careers if they prove unable to break into the team at the Premier League level.

Steve Mandanda

Steve Mandanda’s time at Palace was strange with the French keeper spending just one season with the Eagles and making only nine appearances after arriving on a free from Marseille. He was thought to be the answer that the club has been looking for but ended up being a bust at the club as injuries and rumoured attitude problems kept him off the pitch. Mandanda returned to his old side Marseille for an undisclosed fee, making 38 appearances this season and helping them reach the Europa League Final.

Joe Ledley

Joe Ledley spent three-and-a-half years with Palace, playing a total of 83 league games before being released at the end of his contract. Ledley, along with his iconic beard, took his time finding a new club and joined Championship outfit Derby in September. The Welsh midfielder made 26 appearances for the Rams and helped them qualify for the Championship play-offs, while also being included in Wales national team squads.

Fraizer Campbell

Fraizer Campbell was released following the end of his deal after 43 appearances with the Eagles. Campbell joined recently-relegated Hull City and became a regular for them, making 38 apps and scoring six goals. This is the player who Palace may have most regretted letting go as the lack of striker depth hurt the Eagles in the early part of the season, and while Campbell’s goal-scoring record wasn’t great, his effort was never in question.

Mathieu Flamini

The French midfielder spent one campaign with the Eagles after joining on a free prior to last season, appearing 13 times and was released after his contract expired. Flamini spent a while without a club before joining Spanish team Getafe in February, making eight appearances in La Liga.

Zeki Fryers

Zeki Fryers never found much playing time with Palace, only appearing nine times across three years, but still served as a valuable squad member. Following the conclusion of his Palace contract, Fryers joined Championship outfit Barnsley where he played 23 games across all competitions.

Luke Croll and Hiram Boateng

Luke Croll and Hiram Boateng were young promising players who featured regularly for the U23s. Despite their perceived potential, they were limited to loans and pre-season appearances with Boateng accounting for the one competitive appearance between the two. Both players joined Exeter City in League Two following their release and they were almost promoted to League One but lost in the play-off final last weekend. Croll struggled with a serious injury and was limited to 10 appearances, while Boateng became a regular in the side, making 42 matches.

Kwesi Appiah

Kwesi Appiah spent five years in South London but only managed to make six senior games for the Eagles. He spent much of his time on the Palace books out on loan, being sent to eight different teams during his stint at Selhurst Park. Appiah was released by Palace and joined League One side AFC Wimbledon, making 15 appearances across all competitions and scoring three goals.

Jonathan Benteke

Jonathan Benteke joined Palace’s developmental team when his older brother Christian joined from Liverpool. The younger Benteke only played for six minutes in a Palace shirt before suffering a serious knee injury and being let go at the conclusion of last season. Since his release he has spent time with Omonia Nicosia in the Cypriot First Division and Oldham Athletic in League One.