May 25 2005

Dougie Freedman

Out of contract Crystal Palace striker Dougie Freedman has dismissed claims he is set to sign for QPR and says he wants to sign a new deal with the Eagles, by Stuart Pink.

The 31-year-old Scotsman's contract expired this month and it has been reported that the striker is poised to return to the club where he started his professional career.

But Freedman told the Croydon Guardian that he has not held talks with the west London club, but has spoken to Iain Dowie about signing a new deal with Palace, providing he feels the club is heading in the right direction.

Freedman said: "No I have not spoken to them QPR, they have enquired about my availability, but so have a few other clubs. There is no truth in me going there.

"I spoke to Iain Dowie and the chairman last week and the boss said he would like to keep me, but nothing else has been spoken about but we are in very early stages.

"What makes my decision is if the club is going in the right direction, if the manager stays, players stay and we are going for promotion. If these things are right, I will stay."

But Freedman, who has notched 95 goals for the Eagles, admitted that if he did not sign up again for the Eagles he would only consider joining a club with a genuine chance of promotion.

He said: "I would want to go to a club that are realistic promotion contenders. I don't want to be scoring goals for a club lying in mid-table, I want them to count for something, so a promotion side is something I really want."

It has been a frustrating season for the former Wolves hitman, making just 10 Premiership starts and scoring one goal against Charlton in the Eagles final game of the season.

But Freedman has no axe to grind with Iain Dowie and admits he is thankful to the Eagles boss for keeping him in his plans.

Freedman said: "Every player has been through a season like the one I've just had. For whatever reason, I didn't get a regular run and when I did play, I didn't play for the next few.

"When a goal does come along you do gather momentum, but unfortunately mine was in the last game of the season and sums up my year.

"But the manager always kept me in his plans and part of the first team picture which encouraged me."

According to Freedman the future of Iain Dowie will be pivotal to Palace's chances of bouncing straight back into the big time as the striker believes the Palace boss is exactly what the club has always needed.

He said: "I think he's vital, he is a very hard working and influential manager.

"I've spent a long time here and Palace is a very up and down club, it looks like it's going in the right direction and then it doesn't. I feel he will take the club forward. The club needed someone like Dowie."