Crystal Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita has insisted he is “very happy” at Selhurst Park and is already looking forward to next season.
The 35-year-old Spaniard has been a consistent presence in the Eagles team since his 2018 arrival from Getafe on a free transfer, making 125 appearances for the club across four seasons. Guaita became first-choice under Roy Hodgson after displacing Wayne Hennessey in the side and has kept his spot between the sticks under Patrick Vieira also.
His current deal at Selhurst Park runs until next summer with the option to extend until 2024, though recent comments he gave in an interview with AS showed it was clear that beyond that point, he hopes to return to Spain and play for boyhood club Valencia once again.
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“I have less and less years left and I don’t know if I will have those years to be able to return to Spain,” he said. “Speaking honestly, I would like to return to Valencia. I think I could have played for many years at Valencia.”
Guaita reassured Crystal Palace fans he had no intention of cutting his ties in England any time in the immediate future in the same interview, and he reaffirmed those comments following Saturday’s 2-1 win against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium.
“I want to stay at Crystal Palace,” he told Capital Football. “I have a contract here, plus one [more year]. Me and my family are very happy here, but I don’t know what will happen in two, three in four years. My family and friends live in Valencia and football changes quickly but now I am happy to be at Crystal Palace. Me and my wife are happy in London and my children want to stay here, this is the most important thing.”
Palace’s comeback victory on the south coast was secured by second-half goals from Ebere Eze and Wilfried Zaha, with the latter netting the winner in the second minute of stoppage time. The win lifts the Eagles past the 40-point mark, all but ensuring they won’t fall into the relegation fight taking place below them and giving them a fighting chance at finishing the campaign in the top half of the Premier League.
Palace have four games left to try and finish as high as possible, with away trips to Aston Villa and Everton sandwiched between home games with Watford and, on the final day of the season, Manchester United. And while finishing a few places higher in the middle of the table might not seem motivating, Vieira says building a culture where performance levels are consistently high is what he is using to drive his team.
“It’s about building something consistent because you can't choose [to perform] in the game you want to play or the game you think you’re going to win,” he said after beating the Saints. “It’s about a culture that I want to bing about how we prepare every day and every week to allow us to perform on the weekend. These last four games we will have the same program and the same meetings and the pressure will be the same because this is something I want us to live with.”
