FORMER Crystal Palace and Southampton star Jason Puncheon has announced his retirement from football.
The 37-year-old said it was a “dream come true” to captain Palace, his boyhood club.
He helped to establish the Eagles back into the Premier League after joining in 2013 – the summer after they were promoted.
Puncheon spent six years at Selhurst Park and scored 16 goals in 169 games before a permanent move to Pafos in Cyprus.
He ended his career with Anorthosis in the Cypriot First Division and will now manage in the country – taking charge of Peyia 2014.
Puncheon began his career with Wimbledon and was part of the squad that transitioned to MK Dons in 2004.
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The former winger also had permanent spells at Barnet, Plymouth and Southampton and played in all four divisions of the EFL.
While loan stints at Millwall, Blackpool, QPR and Huddersfield mean Puncheon has had his fair share of clubs.
Puncheon announced his retirement saying: “All good things come to an end.
“I would like to thank all the coaches, team-mates and staff I have worked with – those memories, football lessons and life skills will stay with me forever.
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“Thank you to all the fans. Hearing people sing your name from the stands is something I only dreamed about as a kid which then became a reality.
“I would like to thank my family and parents for being part of the sacrifices professional football demands – most importantly for your continued guided support in good or bad moments.
“After 20 years of playing professional football at all different levels it’s time for me to retire.
“Now it’s time for me to be a coach. I would like to thank Peyia 2014 for giving me the opportunity to be head coach at this early stage of my new career and I can’t wait to get started.”
One of Puncheon’s most infamous moments came in 2013 when he had to rush off mid-game in a match between Southampton and Everton.
Duty called as Puncheon took an urgent toilet break, much to the amusement of the crowd who sang: “Jason Puncheon, he went for a s***”.
Weeks later Puncheon joked about the incident as he celebrated a goal by pretending to take a poo, leading to chants of: “He s**** when he wants, Jason Puncheon, he s**** when he wants.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
