De Boer handed three-year deal as Crystal Palace boss

Rob McCarthy

Frank de Boer has been appointed as Crystal Palace’s new manager on a three-year contract, the club have announced.

The Dutchman, 47, succeeds Sam Allardyce at Selhurst Park after the former England boss resigned at the end of last season having kept Palace in the Premier League.

De Boer, who was unveiled at the club’s Beckenham training ground on Monday afternoon, is confident he can have an impact on the English top flight, having seen his tenure at Inter Milan cut short in November after just 14 matches in charge.

“I had a good feeling about the club and the prospect of managing a team in the Premier league was exciting,” the former Ajax, Barcelona and Rangers defender said at a press conference flanked by Palace chairman Steve Parish.

De Boer is confident he can help Palace look up the table.

“The club can still grow further and further, because every year English clubs spend a lot of money, so it is possible to do something well.

“There is a lot of prospect to be a solid Premier League club,” the Dutch coach said.

“I have to see the players first, but I have my ideas, maybe one or two signings.

“We want to be a solid Premier League club, not a team which struggles for relegation, this is the target.

“If we can do more, then that is nice, but first is to be a very solid Premier League club.

“I have confidence with the team who is around me and the players that we can build a solid club.”

De Boer had been linked with other jobs in England, while Palace have had plenty of changes in the dugout in recent years.

The Dutchman, though, hopes he can last the distance at Selhurst Park.

“I am focusing on this job right now, not what happens in the future, that is unimportant,” he said.

“I am just concerned with making Palace a solid Premier League club.

“I signed for three years, so normally I want to stay for three years, which normally means it is going well.”

As a graduate of Ajax and having enjoyed a successful spell at Barcelona, the Dutchman is hopeful his methodology can work in the hustle and bustle of the English top flight.

“I have my own type of coaching and style of playing, we want to be dominant when we can, but also dominate when we don’t have the ball,” he said.

“Also for the fans, we must try to be attractive. Palace has a very enthusiastic and passionate fanbase, so they will want to see that.”

De Boer feels he can use the disappointment of his short spell in Italy to his advantage moving forwards into a fresh challenge.

“I learned a lot from it,” said De Boer, who revealed he had spoken to former Holland and Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal ahead of taking the job.

“I can bring that experience here to Crystal Palace.”