JASON PUNCHEON could enjoy a double celebration this season.
In his first season as a manager in Cyprus he led Akritas Chlorakas to promotion to the top tier.
And on Saturday his ‘team’ Crystal Palace will make their first FA Cup final appearance since he scored but Palace lost 2-1 against Manchester United in 2016.
The 38-year-old has been based on the Mediterranean island for five years as a player and now manager, and is enjoying a contented but hard-working life 2,000 miles from his old home in London.
The former midfielder made a life-changing decision about his career while playing at Huddersfield in the Prem in 2019. But it was more or less made for him, following a remark by one of his daughters.
He explained: “I was travelling up and down the country because my family were still living in London and I was in Yorkshire at Huddersfield for most of the week.
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“My second-youngest daughter provided a wake-up call one day when she said to me, ‘Daddy, why are you away all the time?’
“It really struck a chord with me and I couldn’t get it out of my head as I was travelling back to Huddersfield.
“I knew that whatever move I made next, it would have to be for the whole family, not just me.
“When the idea of joining Cypriot top-flight club Pafos came up in 2019, the idea of moving here to build a new life with my family appealed to all of us. We are really happy.”
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Puncheon was at Pafos for three seasons before switching to Anorthosis Famagusta two years ago.
He said: “I was planning that I would have one last season playing for Famagusta. For several years my mind had always been geared into coaching when I retired and I dipped my toe in the water at Peyia, AEZ Zakakiou and Ayia Napa. It was a great learning curve.”
However, he was appointed head coach at Akritas Chlorakas on November 20 last year — and within five months led them to promotion.
He said: “Managing here is a huge challenge as it is a different culture to what I’ve been used to in England.
“I am enjoying the success of promotion but I know the hard work has only just started.
“Next season it’s going to be another level, but I’m ready for it.”
Puncheon completed all his Uefa A and B badges alongside Djimi Traore, Juan Pablo Angel and Carlton Cole before moving to Cyprus.
It is interesting to hear him speak about the future and whether continued management success in Cyprus may see a return to England. He said: “I am not even thinking that far ahead at the moment.
“The results have been great for me and the club since November and to be promoted is a big step. My entire focus is now on next season.”
Puncheon revealed that he has always been football mad, explaining: “My whole life I have always felt I’ve had a ball at my feet.”
And he remembers his league debut for Wimbledon in March 2004 as though it was last week.
He said: “I was a sub and came on at half-time at Walsall. We lost the game 1-0. The thing that sticks in my mind is I was playing against Paul Merson, who came on as a sub.
“I switched to MK Dons but I was released by the club in 2006.
“Joining Barnet in League Two was a breakthrough for me, where I started to play regularly.”
Puncheon had spells at Plymouth Argyle and further stints on loan at MK Dons but he reflects on joining Southampton in 2010 — where he believes his career went up several notches.
He said: “All my previous clubs had given me a platform to play but, even though Southampton were in League One, the facilities and structure were that of a Premier League club.
“During my early days I had a loan spell at Blackpool where I played in the Prem for the first time but Saints were on another level.”
Within three years, the Saints had back-to-back promotions and were back in the top tier for 2012-13.
The Londoner made 32 Prem appearances for Saints that season as they finished in 14th.
But in the summer of 2013, he signed a one-year loan with Crystal Palace. He said: “Growing up Palace was my team, all my family were fans, so joining them felt special.”
Six months later he made the loan permanent in a £1.75million deal.
He talks proudly of wearing the skipper’s armband for Palace and of two of his standout goals among the 16 he netted for the Eagles in his six years at Selhurst Park.
He revealed: “The winner against Norwich in April 2016 was huge in terms of making sure we stayed up that season. There is an iconic photo of us celebrating the goal.
“Then there was scoring the opener in the FA Cup final against Manchester United with less than 20 minutes remaining.
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“I wished it had been the winner. Sadly Juan Mata equalised and then Jesse Lingard scored the winner for them in extra-time.
“I would be absolutely overjoyed if they went one better this season and won the Cup next month.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
