“I had several talks with him [Vieira],” he told Palace TV in his first interview since joining the club. “What has been said I will keep for myself, but obviously he gave me a good feeling and he told me how he wanted to play. That matches my football view and the way I want to play football, and that’s fantastic.
“I want to play football from the back, and he wants that as well. So I think it fits really well. It’s quite exciting to start up something new with new players and a new style, so we have to learn – everyone – and hopefully I can be a big part of us moving forwards faster.
“I want to show the same [things] that I showed last season. My ball-playing skills, some long balls played out from the back, my defensive skills, leading the back line and leading the team. So it’s something I can bring to this team hopefully.”