March 30 2005

Kit Symons

Crystal Palace assistant manager Kit Symons has revealed that new Finnish signing Eero Peltonen is unlikely to feature in the first team this season, by Stuart Pink.

The Eagles snapped up the 18-year-old after impressing during a trial at the end of last year, but Symons admitted the starlet is very much one for the future.

Symons said: "He is very young and we signed him for the future potential we saw in him.

"He came over here for a couple of weeks and we had a look at him a few months back.

"He's a creative, intelligent player and we saw a lot of potential in him."

Peltonen, who also had trials with Glasgow Rangers, can play a number of roles in the attacking third, but Symons has a strong indication where he will be deployed at Palace.

Symons said: "He's a centre forward, that can also play deep but he's likely to be deployed as an out and out striker."

The youngster was signed from Finnish club PK-35, and becomes the third Finn to join the Palace ranks along with Aki Riihilahti and Joonas Kolkka, which will no doubt help him settle in south London.

As yet there is no indication whether a fee was involved, but Palace did have to wait until certain matters were resolved until they could complete the deal which explains the delay in the signing.

Symons added: "He had schooling to finish, just the timing of it all had to be done correctly to suit everyone."

Live Croydon Guardian text commentary