Nathaniel Clyne is not expected to be retained by Crystal Palace after his contract expired in June.
Palace confirmed that “discussions (were) continuing with the defender” after publishing their retained list earlier last month, but those conversations have ended without a new contract offer being put to the 35-year-old and he is not expected to return when pre-season training starts later in July.
Across two spells at Palace, Clyne, who graduated through the club’s academy, made 252 appearances for the club. The right-back played 14 times in all competitions last season, starting seven games, but Palace are now ready to move on after his many years of service.
He made his debut as a 17-year-old in a 3-0 win over Barnsley in 2008, being awarded the player of the match award, and became a regular in the team under manager Neil Warnock, making a further 27 starts in all competitions that season.
He was named Palace’s young player of the year in his breakthrough campaign, and won the senior award in 2010-11 after being an ever-present in the Championship. In 2012, Clyne was sold to Southampton and then sold to Liverpool three years later.
His impressive performances with Palace and then Southampton had earned him a first call-up to the England squad before he made his debut in November 2014, with his form then leading to his move to Liverpool in 2015.
But back problems plagued him on Merseyside after he was a regular in his first two seasons, with a loan to Bournemouth in 2018-19 before he tore his ACL in July 2019 and was released the following summer at the end of his contract.
Clyne returned to Palace, initially being invited to train with the club informally in September 2020 before he was awarded a contract until the end of January, which was then extended several times.
He was used more recently as cover as centre-back with then-manager Oliver Glasner praising his attitude and application.
“I talked to him (and asked) if he could imagine playing this position because he’s not used to it, and then he knew what he had to do,” Glasner said after a win over Liverpool in 1-0 April 2024
“Let’s talk about Clyney,” he said after a 5-2 win over West Ham United. “He didn’t play many minutes. I don’t know if he’s ever played half-right centre-back, I think never but (look) how he performs. We know he is not the tallest, but he has other qualities, and then we have to support him.”
