Darren Ambrose has hailed the impact Neil Warnock had on him during his time at Crystal Palace. The midfielder scored 37 goals in 124 games for Palace in all competitions between 2009 and 2012, with Ambrose netting some superb strikes in his time with the Eagles, including a stunning long-range effort against Manchester United in the League Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford in 2011.
Darren Ambrose said “As a man manager, he was second to none for me. I understand people that didn’t like playing for him, he is an aggressive manager, but that was needed. Especially you look at the team we had at that time, a team full of warriors, of legends, real characters, to have him at the helm was needed. I remember the first game I played I had tracked back all the way, tracked the full-back to the byline, and he [Warnock] was screaming at me, I had literally ran the full length of the pitch, and he pulled me and had a go, and said I don’t want you tracking back. I had never had a manager say that, but he said I want you to be at the other end creating and scoring goals, he said that was for others like Shaun Derry and Johnny Ertl to do, and that was music to my ears. He knew my strengths and he knew what he wanted out of me, and I think I delivered for him. So fair play to Neil Warnock for creating that and getting that from me.”
Darren Ambrose was a key part of Palace’s side in his three years at the club, with Ambrose also scoring a crucial goal in the final day clash with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in 2010, as the Eagles avoided relegation from the Championship, despite being placed in administration that season. And Ambrose has pinpointed the advice Neil Warnock gave to him early on in his time at Palace which helped him to become such an important player and scorer of vital goals for the club.
