Ghana striker Jordan Ayew reveals he is looking to inspire Crystal Palace to a top-half finish in the Premier League next season despite calls for him to pursue a career with a ‘bigger’ club.
The 28-year-old is looking to continue from where he left last term, having notched nine goals to finish as the club’s top scorer, helping the side to 14th spot in the end.
Former Chelsea ace Marcel Desailly and erstwhile Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng recently urged the Black Star to take a step up after last term.
“Everyone wants to play in big competitions. We want to finish in the top half of the table. We hope to get a good start to the season and we’ll see how it goes,” Ayew said, as reported by Citi Sports.
“There haven’t been too many changes. The manager is trying to find solutions and different options, which is normal. The most important thing is to stay focused and start the new season well.
“I’m a Crystal Palace player, I’m happy here. My family is also happy here. Everything is in Palace’s hands. I’m a very ambitious player but I intend to give my best for Palace this season.”
Ayew also looked at his club’s performances last season where after a run of four straight wins towards the end of the term, The Eagles failed to find a winner in their last eight games, losing seven of them.
“I think it’s quite simple. I think we had a good season until March, then [there was the] Covid-19 [suspension] for three months, then [we] started the league again. I think we won our first game after Covid-19 and after, I think we didn’t win until the end of the season,” Ayew explained.
“I think we won one game out of eight. I think overall it’s been a good season. We didn’t do well at the end but like I said we are a team and our target was to stay in the Premier League and we managed to do that.”
“Overall, it was a good season. The target was to stay in the Premier League and we managed to do that. [The break from] Covid-19 didn’t help us like it did for other teams but we’re getting ready for next season.”
Ayew will be hoping to get off to a flying start when Palace face Southampton in the 2020-21 Premier League season opener on September 12.
On Saturday, the striker showed his readiness for the task ahead as he netted twice to ensure a 3-0 triumph over Charlton Athletic in a pre-season fixture.
