Brendan Kiernan sparked a discussion amongst Crystal Palace fans on Monday after he made an appearance for the U21 side against Birmingham City.
The 31-year-old was named on the bench as a trialist, leading many to wonder if the free agent would be joining Roy Hodgson’s side.
Now – thanks to Alex Howell of the BBC – the reason for Brendan Kiernan being at Crystal Palace has been revealed…
Why Brendan Kiernan played for Crystal Palace U21 side
Well – as explained by Howell – the midfielder is back at Crystal Palace, where he spent time in the academy in 2009, to help guide the youngsters and maintain his own fitness.
The BBC journalist wrote: “The 31-year-old was previously in the Palace academy as a young player and is training with the side to keep fit and help the club out.”
Both Manchester United and Liverpool have officially hired experienced senior players to fulfil this role.
The Red Devils signed Tom Huddlestone to exclusively play U21 football and guide the young players, while Liverpool have done likewise with Jay Spearing.
Howell adds that Crystal Palace have not officially offered such a role to Kiernan, although it remains to be seen if such an opportunity does arise for the man from Lambeth.
Crystal Palace should consider it
In our view, having an experienced player like Kiernan in and around the U21 side can only be a good thing.
The Londoner has amassed 172 appearances throughout his career, and even created his own website to offer advice to struggling young players.
Therefore, Kiernan seems as good a person as any to offer guidance to those in the Crystal Palace academy ranks – especially as he himself was released by the Eagles as a youngster.
Be sure to keep an eye out for Kiernan’s name, as it wouldn’t surprise us to see him offered a role akin to that of Huddlestone at Manchester United and Spearing at Liverpool.
