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Pape Souare: Crystal Palace allow former defender to train at the club
The Eagles have allowed their former Senegalese player to train with the youth team as he seeks playing opportunities
Crystal Palace have confirmed former defender Pape Souare will be allowed to train with the U23 squad during pre-season.
The Premier League club has said in a statement they have accepted to have the 31-year-old Senegalese player train with the youth side in a bid to help him find a new club.
“Former Crystal Palace defender Pape Souare will play for the U23s during pre-season, as the club is supporting him in his attempts to find a new playing opportunity,” read a statement from the club.
“Souare has been training at the Academy since the start of pre-season, which has helped him maintain fitness.
“It has been a mutually beneficial arrangement, as Souare’s presence has provided an extremely positive experience for the club’s younger players.”
Following the expiry of his contract with Palace in 2019, Souare secured a one-year contract with French Ligue 2 club Troyes with the option of a further year.
Born in Mbao, Pikine Department, Souare spent his early career with Diambars, Lille II, Lille, and Reims. He moved to Palace on a three-and-a-half-year deal in January 2015 for an undisclosed fee, reported as £3.45 million.
He made his Palace debut on February 14 in the fifth round of the FA Cup, a 2-1 home loss to Liverpool, and on January 22, 2016, it was announced that Souare had signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with Palace.
He was sent off on February 13 at the end of a 2-1 loss to Watford at Selhurst Park, for fouling Valon Behrami.
Souare made his international debut for Senegal on February 29, 2012, in a goalless friendly draw against South Africa at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, he later competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics and was also a squad member at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
He scored his first international goal from a 20-yard free-kick on March 29, 2016, as the Lions de Teranga won 2-1 away to Niger in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.
On Monday, Palace under coach Patrick Vieira confirmed the signing of Marc Guehi from Chelsea on a five-year deal.
On signing the deal, Guehi said: "I’m very excited. It’s a great opportunity for me to come to such a big club in the Premier League. I’m really excited to get going," he told Palace's website.
"[The club is taking] a really exciting direction with the new gaffer that’s come in. A lot of good young players are here and obviously, such a stable club with top players really enticed me and made me want to come."
