Dougie Freedman reveals Italian trips

Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman has revealed that he has spent several summers honing his management skills in Italy.

Freedman, who decided that he would move into coaching during his late 20s, spent time with the staff at Palermo and AC Milan.

The 37-year-old believes that there is no better place for an aspiring boss to learn their trade.

"People talk about the Spanish but the country with the most in terms of mental strength and tactical knowledge is Italy," Freedman told the London Evening Standard.

"They say this is my first job but nobody knew I spent my summers at Palermo's training ground, at Milan's training ground.

"I have a couple of friends who have played over there and and just through a few contacts I managed to spend three or four weeks over the last eight or nine summers studying there, and only there, because it is the best place to learn about the game."

Freedman was appointed Palace manager in January 2011.