Frank de Boer says leading Crystal Palace to mid-table safety will be as satisfying as winning trophies at one of his giant, previous clubs.

De Boer is set for his first taste of life battling in the bottom half of the table after taking over as Palace boss this summer.

He spent his illustrious playing and managerial career tasked with challenging at the other end with clubs such as Ajax, Barcelona and Inter Milan.

Ahead of his Premier League bow against Huddersfield, De Boer said: “I’ve always played for and managed teams whose first objective was to be champions. This is another objective.

Palace take on Huddersfield this weekend (
Image:
Getty Images AsiaPac)

“I can be very happy at the end of the season if we are a solid club and I can say ‘hey, we didn’t look once down’.

“Ok there is no trophy if you are placed 12th or tenth but it is also a fantastic achievement because that is what they expected on the manager when they started.

“If we achieve that then I will be as happy as I was when lifted a trophy. I am convinced I will feel the same.”

De Boer also determined to continue blooding youngsters as he did at Ajax.

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His three signings so far are Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 21, Jairo Reidewald, 20, and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, 19.

And De Boer said: “They really are hungry to perform. If they really show the qualities they have in them they could be fantastic players for every club.

“At some point at the right time, in the right league you have to give young players the chance to develop and you will see they are going to make not one step but two, three, four steps.

“And in a couple of weeks they can pass that player who you think ‘this is the maximum of that player.’

“We did it a lot with Davy Klaasen now with Everton. Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen [all Tottenham], because they got the chance at that moment.”

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