Crystal Palace's greatest players of all time

Crystal Palace are a side with a long and storied history as one of London's most iconic clubs.

The Eagles have hosted some fantastic players at Selhurst Park throughout the years since being founded in 1905.

Various trips to and from the top flight in the last 50 years have left them with a long list of greats and club legends to flick through. Here are Palace's greatest players ever.

Wilfried Zaha

Crystal Palace's biggest modern legend, Wilfried Zaha endeared himself to the Selhurst Park faithful over two spells totalling 18 years.

The flamboyant winger, who was regularly linked with moves away from south London, did a fantastic job of keeping the Eagles away from the Championship. Zaha scored 90 goals in 458 appearances for Palace, with a brief dalliance with Manchester United breaking up his time in south London.

He eventually departed for Galatasaray in 2023 after his contract expired, leaving the club as their tenth-highest goalscorer of all time.

Johnny Byrne

Nicknamed 'Budgie' due to his never-ending chatting, Johnny Byrne signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday. Six years later, the Englishman had become a Palace favourite in the lower leagues, but moved to West Ham where he found major success with an FA Cup win and seasons of European football.

He rejoined the Eagles after his five-year spell at the Hammers and reached 100 Palace goals, putting him fourth in the club's all-time top goalscorer list at the time. Byrne's most noteworthy performance on the international stage came in 1964 when he bagged a hat-trick in a 4-3 win over a Portugal side containing the legendary Eusebio.

Julian Speroni

The affectionately-named Speroni's Restaurant at Selhurst Park pays homage to the club's former keeper, reflecting his legendary status at the club.

The Argentine left Palace in 2019 before retiring without a club, having joined almost 15 years earlier. He won their player of the season award an incredible four times.

Only four players have made more appearances than Speroni's 405 games for the club, while he also holds the record for most clean sheets in Eagles history with 112, perhaps the most crucial coming against Watford in the 2013 play-off final that sealed promotion.

Mark Bright

No doubt a Palace legend, Mark Bright formed one half of a legendary strike partnership alongside Ian Wright.

After experiencing a difficult childhood where he was taken into foster care, Bright played for several clubs before he was signed by manager Steve Coppell for £75,000. His partnership with Wright proved lethal, helping Palace reach the FA Cup final in 1990 and being named their player of the season.

Having scored over 100 goals from 1986 to 1992, it's easy to understand why Bright is so revered at Selhurst Park.

John Jackson

Nicknamed 'Stonewall' by Palace fans due to his safe hands, John Jackson began his career at the Eagles.

The goalkeeper represented the club for nine years from 1964 to 1973 and made 346 appearances. He also played a staggering 222 consecutive matches in the first team, the equivalent of almost six full Premier League seasons.

Andy Johnson

Andy Johnson joined Palace from Birmingham in 2002 and spent the next four years scoring goals for fun in the top two divisions. The English striker averaged a goal every two games, ending up with 85 goals in 161 appearances.

His goals were crucial in getting Palace promoted in the 2003/04 season, where he was the First Division's top goalscorer. The following season, only Thierry Henry scored more goals than his 21 - more than half of them penalties - as he kept the Eagles in the Premier League.

Johnson was sold to Everton in 2006 for £8.5m but has since returned to Palace following retirement as an honorary patron of the club's foundation.

Vince Hilaire

Similar to Zaha, Vince Hilaire was a winger who combined great skill on the ball with frightening pace to give full-backs nightmares. He started his career at Palace aged 17 in 1977 and became a key part of their famous team of the 1980s.

Hilaire made 293 appearances and scored 36 goals for the club, helping to drag the Eagles all the way from the Third Division to the First Division.

Ian Wright

Arguably Palace's greatest ever striker, Ian Wright is the club's third-highest ever goalscorer with 117 in 277 games - no player has scored more goals for the Eagles since the Second World War.

The former Arsenal striker spent six years at the club between 1985 to 1991, producing one of the club's finest moments when he returned from a broken leg to score a brilliant brace against Man Utd in the 1990 FA Cup final. It wasn't enough in the end as Mark Hughes scored late to take the match to a replay, which Palace lost.

It wasn't easy for Wright to become the brilliant footballer he was, though. He had an abusive father and was bullied by his step-brother, a past he has spoken about extensively and touchingly.

Jim Cannon

'Mr Crystal Palace' is the club's record holder for senior appearances with 660. That more or less says it all.

Jim Cannon was a constant presence at centre-back from 1973 to 1988, a reliable and commanding defender who was even deployed at left-back and as a central midfielder in his time at the club.

Cannon made his debut against Chelsea aged 19 and scored the second goal in a 2-0 victory. He went on to play under seven different managers in three different divisions and was a symbol of stability at the club.

Geoff Thomas

A true club great, Geoff Thomas guided and captained Palace through their most successful period in history, including their best ever top-flight finish of third in 1990/91. The midfielder made 249 appearances in six seasons for the club, grabbing 35 goals along the way.

Possibly more notably, Thomas was given three months to live in 2003 when he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Fast forward to today, he's made a fantastic recovery and led the first amateur cycling team to ever tackle three Grand Tours back-to-back, a real testament to the character, energy and drive he brought to the pitch.

He won Palace's player of the year award in his debut campaign and played a vital role in getting the club promoted to the First Division. A talented all-round player, Thomas also achieved nine England caps.

Crystal Palace's best current players

Marc Guehi

Marc Guehi was a highly-rated youngster during his time at Chelsea but has emerged as one of England's best centre-back options since joining Palace in 2021.

A more understated defender comfortable in and out of possession, Guehi earned his first Three Lions cap in 2022 and has formed a solid partnership with Joachim Andersen at Selhurst Park.

With Guehi pairing excellent positioning with eagle-eyed awareness, the £18m Palace paid Chelsea looks an absolute snip.

Eberechi Eze

Palace's recent transfer strategy has seen some wonderfully talented attacking players arrive at Selhurst Park, Eberechi Eze being one of them.

Primarily an attacking midfielder but capable of playing out wide, Eze can skin defenders with his quick feet and dribbling and is a danger from set pieces, with his free-kick at Tottenham in March 2024 one particular highlight.

Eze played in all of Palace's 2022/23 Premier League games, making 30 starts, and top clubs are constantly tracking him with the view to a future transfer.

Michael Olise

Another Palace star often linked with a move away from south London, Michael Olise is a dangerous winger capable of the spectacular.

A left-footed player who likes to cut inside from his right wing position, Olise regularly sets his teammates up with assists and can strike thunderous shots at goal from outside the area.

Injuries have curtailed his progress somewhat, but a big move is on the horizon for Olise.

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