Steve Mandanda: Trying to leave Crystal Palace "was hell"

Steve Mandanda has confessed that he was desperate to push through a summer switch from Crystal Palace to Marseille following his year of "hell" at Selhurst Park.

The 32-year-old was recruited by then-boss Alan Pardew for an undisclosed fee in July 2016 and was instantly installed as first-choice keeper.

A mixture of injuries and poor form saw Mandanda slip down the pecking order, however, making a total of just nine Premier League appearances and failing to keep a single clean sheet.

After getting his wish of returning to Marseille, where he spent nine years before joining Palace, the France international has revealed that he was happy to take a financial hit to exit South London.

"Leaving Crystal Palace? Yes, it was hell," he told Canal Football Club. "At one point, I thought the deal would collapse. I had to kiss goodbye to a lot of money".

Wayne Hennessey has started the 2017-18 season as Palace's first choice, but Michel Vorm and Adrian have both been linked with the club in recent days.