Palace 'second debuts' as Guessand returns to SE25

First-team

13 Aug 2026

It’s official. Evann Guessand has returned to Crystal Palace.

The forward could make his ‘second debut’ when the new Premier League season begins away to Everton on Saturday, 15th August (15:00 BST).

His first appearance in a Palace shirt last season was certainly a memorable one – Guessand coming off the bench to set up Ismaïla Sarr’s winning goal away at Brighton.

And the Ivory Coast international will be looking to have a similar impact when the Eagles travel to Merseyside in the first game of the new campaign.

Let’s take a look at some Palace heroes from the past to play for the club over two spells – and how they got on in their second debut.

Wilf Zaha

Wilfried Zaha returned to South London with a bang in August 2014. After leaving to join Manchester United following promotion at Wembley in the play-off final, the winger was at Old Trafford six months before joining Cardiff on loan.

But with Palace retaining Premier League status that same season, a return was finalised towards the end of August 2014 – initially on a season-long loan.

His first game back was marked in spectacular style. The Eagles trailed Newcastle 3-2 in a Premier League thriller at St James’ Park with only minutes remaining, Zaha having entered the action as a substitute in his return game.

Then in the dying moments after a long free-kick was pumped forward into the Newcastle box, Zaha met a wonderfully cushioned downward header on the volley, lashing the ball past Tim Krul to salvage a point for Palace.

Dougie Freedman

A South London legend, Freedman returned to Selhurst Park in October 2000, having originally departed for Nottingham Forest just over two years before.

In truth, Freedman’s second debut wasn’t one to remember. The Eagles fell to a 1-0 home defeat to Grimsby Town, a sixth straight defeat at the time.

Freedman had Palace’s best chance of the afternoon when played clean through on goal but failed to score.

But thankfully it didn’t take long for the Scottish forward to find his scoring touch. In the Eagles’ very next game he scored twice against Bolton, kick-starting a run of four goals in three games.

And, of course, the most important goal of his second spell came on the final day away to Stockport.

Clinton Morrison

Morrison’s second spell in South London had a successful start – after Palace paid Birmingham City £2m to bring him back to Selhurst Park in September 2005, three years after his original departure.

The Republic of Ireland forward came off the bench in his ‘second debut’ appearing for the final quarter of an hour in a 2-0 win over Stoke City.

But his season was truly kickstarted in the next home game, when he made his first start since returning against Hull City.

Morrison marked the occasion by opening the scoring, with a poachers’ finish after Tom Soares’ smart cross from the byline.

The Eagles went on to win 2-0. Morrison would end his first season back with 13 goals in 40 league games.

Nathaniel Clyne

Clyney’s second spell in South London began in October 2020, over eight years after he first left for Southampton.

On the bench for a 1-1 draw against Brighton at Selhurst Park a few days after signing, Clyne’s second debut came away to Fulham.

It was another player in his second spell at Palace, Zaha, who stole the show, scoring and creating another in a 2-1 win.

Clyne played 72 minutes and didn’t put a foot wrong in an assured performance. He would go on to play 13 league games that season as Palace finished 14th.

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