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Former Liverpool defender Martin Kelly, who has retired from playing soccer, has spoken about his pride at playing for both the Reds and Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Kelly, who made 62 appearances for Liverpool during his time at Anfield, also outlined his happiness at Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup in May when Oliver Glasner's men overcame Manchester City.
"At the time I did my ACL under Brendan Rodgers, I was in the process of negotiating a new deal," Kelly told The Athletic. "I still got the extension, but it came with certain terms and conditions when I was back fit.
"If I was injured for more than four weeks, I’d get a 40 per cent decrease in my wages. The PFA (the players’ union in English football) told me it was the first time they’d heard of anyone having a clause like that.
"Thankfully, I stayed fit, but it was definitely on my mind in training. Going to Palace and not having anything like that in my contract anymore was a massive relief.
"I needed to be playing more regularly to regain my confidence. And witnessing the atmosphere at Selhurst Park in the famous 3-3 draw with Liverpool, I thought: ‘If these ever come in for me, I’ll sign’. Their fans were as passionate as Liverpool fans."
But life at Crystal Palace was not necessarily straightforward for Kelly. Tony Pulis, the manager who signed him, left the club later on the same day after a falling-out over other transfer targets.
Kelly then played under seven different managers in eight years at Selhurst Park. While Roy Hodgson is not well remembered by Liverpool fans, Kelly has a different opinion of him.
"There’s a reason why Roy is held in such high regard," he said. "The way he understood football, you always knew how to play and where to be on the pitch.
"When I first went there, it was all about staying up. I wasn’t always picked, but I was always available and gained sort of cult-hero status.
"I was usually the decoy runner when I was full-back, but, for whatever reason, that day Wilf (Zaha) passed to me and I stuck it away. It still gets talked about whenever I go back.
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"They also talk about a slide tackle against Burnley (at Turf Moor in 2018), which the social media guys at the club turned into a clip of me flying through the streets of Croydon.
"I’ve shown my kids the footage of my goals against Chelsea and Spurs, but they actually like the slide tackle more!
"It was great being back at Wembley to see Palace win the FA Cup in May. I was there with (former team-mates) James McCarthy, Scott Dann, James Tomkins and Damien Delaney, and we ended up celebrating with the lads that night.
"When I left in 2022, it was clear they were going to be pushing on to bigger and better things."
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