Outstanding contribution

Chairman Steve Parish: Joel Ward will depart Crystal Palace this summer after 13 years with the club, upon the expiration of his current contract.  The 35-year-old has been a near-ever-present throughout the club's longest top-flight spell to date, playing a key role in many of the most important moments in modern Crystal Palace history.

Ward initially joined the club from Portsmouth at the beginning of the successful 2012/13 season in the Championship, playing a significant role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League – not least with his goal-saving intervention on the line against Watford in the play-off final at Wembley.

"For me, it’s been a huge privilege to wear this shirt, to represent this club. It’s been an incredible journey with so many fond memories, so many incredible moments – moments that will live on in my mind for the rest of my life.