April 27 2007

Paul Ifill

Paul Ifill has told Crystal Palace fans: "I'll show you what I can do next season."

The winger joined Palace in £750,000 deal from Sheffield United in January but has been restricted to just six starts.

The 27-year-old arrived not fully fit before picking up an achilles injury and then a bug which has kept him out of the first team.

"I think coming down from Sheffield I wasn’t really in any sort of state to start," he told the South London Press.

"I put on a lot of weight and wasn’t fit because I hadn’t played for four months. For me I just want to get the summer and pre-season under my belt and be flying when we get back under way.

"I’ve started okay at Palace. The fans and gaffer have seen what I can do - but only in little bits and pieces.

"There’s plenty more to come from me. If you look at how I did for Sheffield in my first season there I got nine goals, probably should have got more, and claimed plenty of assists in a team that got promoted.

"It’s clear that I can do it at this standard. It’s just getting back to that level of fitness and I’m very close now.

"Give me the summer and I’ll be in the best shape I’ve ever been. A lot of the lads will put their feet up but I want to get in the gym and work hard so I can come back and show people what I can do."

Ifill wants to help Palace secure their place in the Premiership next season where he can have a crack at the big time.

"I’ll be 28 this October and I’m probably going to get one more crack at the Premiership - although I didn’t get a fair shot at it last time,” he said.

"I would like to do it with this club and it’s got to be pretty soon. So we’ll have a really good go next season."