Ward hits 300: Palace's top PL appearance-makers

First-team

3 Apr 2024

Joel Ward made his 300th Premier League appearance – and 303rd in the top-flight overall – when he turned out for Crystal Palace against Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

So as the skipper notches up yet another milestone, it's time to look back in appreciation towards the longevity of our biggest Premier League appearance makers...

10. Jason Puncheon – 153 appearances

Born in Croydon, a player with Punch’s ability and character always seemed destined to play for Palace – and he did so with distinction in the Premier League, appearing 153 times in the top-flight between August 2013 and May 2019 and wearing the captain’s armband on 18 occasions.

Puncheon started out his career with Wimbledon and MK Dons, but broke through properly with Barnet before further periods at Plymouth and Southampton. His combative nature endeared him to the Palace fans upon joining, and he recently celebrated retiring from playing professional football to move into coaching with Cyprus’ Peyia 2014.

9. Christian Benteke – 162 appearances

The towering presence of Christian Benteke was a prominent feature of Palace’s offensive arsenal for six Premier League seasons between 2016 and 2022, having joined from Liverpool.

The Belgian scored 35 times in 162 Premier League games for the Eagles, finishing top scorer in his debut campaign (16/17) with 15 league goals, a season in which he missed just two top-flight matches.

As Chairman Steve Parish himself surmised upon Benteke’s departure: “Christian has played a crucial role in this club’s Premier League journey, making an immediate impact after signing and playing a central role in the squad ever since.”

All Benteke Goals from a Townsend Assist

8. Scott Dann – 164 appearances

Seven-and-a-half years’ superb service are reflected in Dann’s 164 Palace top-flight appearances – a figure which surely would have been much higher, were it not for the cruel cruciate knee ligament injury which limited the playing time in his latter years in red and blue.

The solid centre-back will nevertheless remain fondly remembered for representing the club with distinction after joining from Blackburn Rovers in January 2014, going on to be named Player of the Season in 2014/15, Players’ Player of the Season the following season, and score an impressive 13 Premier League goals.

7. Andros Townsend – 168 appearances

It’s impossible to recall Andros Townsend’s Premier League feats with Palace without landing on one moment in particular: a memorable effort in a 3-2 win over Manchester City in December 2018, which was nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award and won Premier League Goal of the Season.

But the winger’s consistent output was equally impressive, having missed just four Premier League matches in his first three seasons with the club after signing from Newcastle in July 2016. Playing on average over 33 top-flight games each season, Townsend remains another popular figure in south London.

6. Luka Milivojevic – 183 appearances

Palace’s most-recent Captain Fantastic recently departed SE25 with 198 appearances for the club in all competitions under his belt, including 183 in the Premier League.

The Serbian’s 28 goals place him third in Palace’s all-time Premier League standings behind only Benteke and Wilfried Zaha; he was the club’s top scorer in both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns; and he captained the side since 2018, having only joined the Eagles from Olympiacos the previous year.

In the words of Chairman Steve Parish: “Luka has contributed an immense amount to the team both on and off the pitch, and is a crucial figure in our long stay in the Premier League.”

5. Jordan Ayew – 187 appearances

A consistent performer across five seasons in a Palace shirt, Ghanaian forward Ayew played 20 times during his first season in red and blue (2018/19, on loan from Swansea) – but has subsequently missed just 13 Premier League games in the four seasons since.

Offering endeavour, versatility and quality, arguably Ayew’s best campaign was in 2019/20 when he was named both Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season, but the experienced forward continues to impress in a variety of roles in attack and is enjoying a fine 2023/24.

4. Jeffrey Schlupp – 201 appearances

Having recently completed ten seasons as a Premier League player – two-and-a-half with Leicester, the remainder in red and blue – Jeffrey Schlupp has formed part of sides both title-winning and battling for survival, fulfilling a myriad of positional roles within both.

A massive 199 of Schlupp's Palace appearances have been in the Premier League, with his energy, experience and quality on the ball saw him enjoy a personal-best 34 top-flight appearances last season, during which he netted three times, including an important strike in the 4-3 win over West Ham United at Selhurst.

3. James McArthur – 240 appearances

Another to have recently worn the red and blue for the final time, McArthur – over the course of nine seasons – made 253 appearances in all competitions in a Palace shirt, playing over 19,000 minutes and scoring 19 times.

A virtual ever-present during his first six seasons in red and blue, McArthur missed just six Premier League games between the summers of 2017 and 2020, totalling 240 appearances in the competition and notching match-winning goals against the likes of Watford, Burnley and Arsenal.

It was only fitting that, on the occasion of his appearance for the club, he returned from long-term injury to wear the captain’s armband against Aston Villa. A true leader, on and off the pitch.

Players and Staff send their messages to James McArthur

2. Wilfried Zaha – 291 appearances

Perhaps the club's greatest-ever player?

Raised within earshot of Selhurst Park and graduating from the Academy system, Wilfried Zaha has become one of the best players in Palace history through over a decade's service to the club.

Zaha has been the fulcrum to innumerable Palace successes since his debut in March 2010 and, having been pivotal to firing his team into the Premier League, won three back-to-back club Player of the Year trophies between 2016 and 2018 – an achievement matched only by Julian Speroni.

The winger also captained the side for the first time in his Palace career during the 20/21 campaign, with his first ever game with the armband being a 3-1 victory away at Old Trafford, where he netted twice; and in 2021/22 found the net 15 times in all competitions, a season-best, including a Premier League Goal of the Month winner against Norwich City in February 2022.

Little wonder, then, that a mural now adorns the wall at the junction of Park Road and Holmesdale Road, a stone’s throw away from Rothesay Road where Zaha was raised.

1. Joel Ward – 300 appearances

Now the undisputed No. 1 on this list, and the first-ever player to hit 300 Premier League games in red and blue - what an achievement.

Ward first joined Palace at the start of the club’s successful promotion-winning season from the Championship, 2011/12, and has since accumulated the eighth-most appearances of any Palace player in history.

After a decade of service, he was appointed club captain for the 2023/24 season, and continues to notch up the appearances under new boss Oliver Glasner.

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