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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Long-serving goalie Speroni to exit Crystal Palace

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - November 5, 2017 Crystal Palace's Julian Speroni looks dejected Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

(Reuters) - Crystal Palace's veteran Argentine goalkeeper Julian Speroni will leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires, the Premier League side said on Thursday.

Speroni, 39, joined Palace from Scottish side Dundee in 2004 and played 405 games for the Selhurst Park club, the most by any goalkeeper in their history.

He kept a club record 112 clean sheets, including in both legs of the 2013 Championship playoff semi-finals and the final against Watford to help Palace reach the top flight.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 19, 2019 Crystal Palace's Julian Speroni celebrates their first goal scored by Andros Townsend (not pictured) Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

"Julian has devoted the best 15 years of his playing career to our club, and will go down in the record books," Palace chairman Steve Parish said in a statement.

"But perhaps more importantly, (he) will be remembered as a true club legend by all Palace fans and everyone at the club."

The club's four-times player of the season has featured only twice in all competitions this season, behind Vicente Guaita and Wayne Hennessey in the pecking order.

"You don't get many people like Julian in elite football anymore. He's a model professional, ultra-committed, immensely loyal, and has set impeccable standards to his team mates," Parish added.

Palace, who are 12th in the league, host Bournemouth in their final match on Sunday.

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

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