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Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew says he left Newcastle with his “head held high” as he prepares for a reunion with his former club.
Pardew spent four years in charge of Newcastle before taking over at Palace last month.
Palace face Newcastle at Selhurst Park on Wednesday and Pardew said: “We had some great times together. It was not so great, the last year, but on the whole my experience there was great, I thought I did a good job and that I could walk out of there with my head held high.
“I have still got all my staff there, my players, they are close to my heart and it will be strange. Because after four years of breathing and living every part of that club, and that city, good and bad, it is kind of emotional, so it will be a slightly different game for me.”
New signing Pape Souare was today due for a work-permit hearing and the left-back could be available to make his debut against Newcastle.
Marouane Chamakh is available after missing Saturday’s 1-0 win at Leicester with a broken nose and Pardew hopes Yannick Bolasie will be fit after helping DR Congo to third place at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Palace are six points above the relegation zone but Joe Ledley said: “We can’t get too carried away because we are not safe yet, not by a long way. We are on a good run, but we need to keep it going to make sure we can survive.”
