Frank de Boer has confirmed that Jason Puncheon will be Crystal Palace’s first-team captain next season.
Sitting alongside his new skipper at the Premier League Asia Trophy press conference ahead of tomorrow’s game with Liverpool, the new Eagles manager revealed that Puncheon has been given the role full-time after impressing when wearing the armband in Scott Dann’s absence for the final few months of last season.
Talking about Puncheon’s new role, De Boer said: “He has to be an example for the team and understand the philosophy of what we want, and he can be that not just for the first-team players but also for the youngsters and that’s very important.
“At the beginning I had a look around and got to know everyone better but I had my information that he would be the best captain and he has proven that in the past three weeks. Therefore, for me there was no discussion; he is our captain.
“He knows the responsibility and what that means, and he has to be an example of what Crystal Palace is.”
Having grown up in Croydon, played for the Palace academy sides and returning to SE25 in 2013 to play a major part in Palace’s recent success, Puncheon was obviously delighted to be handed the chance to continue leading his local side.
He added: “It’s a proud moment but the important thing for me is transferring what we want to be as a football club from the management and coaching staff to the players, whether they are senior players or youngsters.”