Jordan Ayew rewarded with new Crystal Palace deal
Crystal Palace have rewarded Jordan Ayew with a contract extension and he is happy to stay at Selhurst Park for another season.
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The 31-year-old has put pen to paper on a new deal with the Eagles to extend his stay at the London club until the summer of 2024.
Ayew has made 167 appearances for Palace in all competitions, scoring 18 goals. He won the club’s Player of the Season award in the 2019-20 campaign.
“I’m happy,” Ayew told the South London Press after inspiring his club to beat Leeds United 5-1 away in a match the Ghanaian scored a brace.
“I have been here for nearly five years and it’s not always been easy. I just kept going and believing in myself and what I can do.
“Today (Sunday) is a good example. I hope I can continue like this and hope I can bring more success to the club and the team.”
Scoring form
Ayew’s brace in the win against Leeds at Elland Road was the first time he had scored twice in a Premier League game.
“Sometimes, you get rewarded, and other times you don’t,” said Ayew. “We got rewarded this time. I hope there is more to come.
Despite being a regular feature at Palace, goals have been hard to come by for the forward who has been deployed to attack from the flanks and hardly as the lead striker or the second striker.
Ironically, he rediscovered his scoring form on the return of English manager, Roy Hodgson, who replaced Frenchman Patrick Vieira over poor results.
It was the 75-year-old Briton who first signed Ayew from Swansea City first on loan in 2018 before making the deal permanent the following season.
Hodgson, an admirer of the Ghanaian, gave the player credit for his overall contribution to the club.
“If I had to single somebody out that doesn’t get a lot of praise it would be Jordan Ayew,” Hodgson said.
“Not only his two goals, but his enormous work rate helped us enormously in the game, and that set a bit of a marker.”
With three goals so far, Ayew has now netted three goals in England’s top division with the other being in December against Bournemouth.
Schlupp on Hodgson
Ayew’s Ghanaian teammate, Jeffrey Schlupp, has stressed the immediate impact made on the team by Hodgson as Palace fight to remain in the premiership.
“That’s what the manager [Roy Hodgson] has brought to the team – he’s given us the freedom to express ourselves upfront. We’re doing it well.”
Last Saturday, the Eagles defeated bottom club, Southampton 2-0, away for their third Premier League win in a row.
Five of Palace’s remaining eight games are against sides who are in the battle to avoid Premier League relegation.