Crystal Palace chief executive Phil Alexander has hailed the impact co-owner Steve Parish has had since rescuing the club from administration in 2010.

A consortium of four purchased the club during the summer of 2010 after Crystal Palace had entered administration in January.

The Eagles suffered a similar fate in 1999 under owner Mark Goldberg but Alexander, who has been CEO at Palace for 20 years, has praised Parish for the way the club has developed in recent years.

He told News Shopper: “In 2010 the club was bought by a consortium of four guys, but Steve was definitely the driving force behind it.

“We have made some very, very good decisions for the future of the club and the club is such a great place now.

“Steve is a demanding guy - he wants the best for this business. He is incredibly passionate about the job, he never stops and understands all aspects of the business.”

Having been at Selhurst Park since 1996, Alexander is the longest serving CEO in English football and has witnessed several promotions and relegations.

Reflecting on when Palace entered into administration, he said: “They were both very difficult times for the business.

“I worked with the administrator in generating much-needed money to keep the business going at that particular time. You need to keep the staff informed and motivated as best you can.

“You’ve also got supporters and stakeholders who are obviously very worried about the future of the club and are heartbroken.

“But the important thing is to try to get through it somehow and find a buyer and thankfully on both occasions we did.

"The club is in a very healthy place right now, but we've got to build on this and keep pushing forward."

Stay tuned for Phil Alexander's thoughts on new signing Emmanuel Adebayor, manager Alan Pardew and Crystal Palace's European credentials.

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