Crystal Palace hero Tony Popovic has recalled first signing for the club.

The Melbourne Victory manager played and coached at Palace.

"The start is always difficult because you've got to adapt," he told Palace TV. "I was having issues with my work permit, as I was really on the border of having enough games to qualify [for a work permit] so I didn't start the season and I had missed the pre-season."

Despite being unable to kick a ball in a professional capacity for the Eagles, Popovic liked what he saw from afar: "Just in that period [of being unable to play] and seeing the professionalism of the club and with Steve Bruce having been a defender who played at the very highest level with Manchester United, really enticed me to take that option when it became available."

It was in fact a former Palace manager who loosely played a part in Popovic heading to south London: Terry Venables.

Venables had a stint as manager of Australia at a time when Popovic was beginning to make his mark with the Socceroos. Having a former England and Barcelona manager in the dugout helped put footballing eyes on Popovic's homeland.

"I had him [Terry Venables] for a short period when I was just breaking into the national team.

"The profile [of Australian football] was growing and having Terry Venables as the Head Coach really lifted the profile.

"Worldwide we were accepted more as a footballing nation; as nation that was evolving. I think we've just grown from strength-to-strength from there."