Former Crystal Palace, Bristol Metropolis and MK Dons caretaker supervisor Keith Millen has been named as the brand new supervisor of non-league aspect AFC Croydon Athletic.
Millen joins the membership owned by Wilfried Zaha – the previous Palace winger at present on mortgage at French high flight aspect Lyon from Turkish giants Galatasaray – and the rapper Stormzy.
Each Zaha and Stormzy are from Croydon. The rapper grew up in South Norwood, attending native faculty Stanley Tech (now Harris Academy South Norwood), and was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Croydon final 12 months.
The membership, which competes within the Isthmian League South East at step eight of the English soccer pyramid, was purchased by the pair alongside former Palace head of participant care Danny Younger final summer season and received promotion via the play-offs of their first season in cost.
Millen was supervisor of Bristol Metropolis on a full-time foundation between August 2010 and October 2012, whereas he was additionally appointed caretaker supervisor at Palace on three events.
The primary was in October 2013 for a month after Ian Holloway’s departure, then in August 2014 when Holloway’s successor Tony Pulis left on the eve of the brand new season, earlier than a 3rd and ultimate spell when Neil Warnock was sacked in December 2014.
He has additionally taken cost of Swedish membership Orgryte IS and spent 4 months as supervisor of Carlisle United.
The 58-year-old additionally has important expertise as an assistant supervisor and loved a taking part in profession which spanned over 500 appearances throughout three golf equipment – Brentford, Watford and Bristol Metropolis.
He was born in Croydon and continues the hyperlink with each the realm and Palace, with a big proportion of the membership’s gamers having emerged via the ranks of Palace’s academy, together with Nya Kirby, who was a part of the England aspect which received the Underneath-17 World Cup in 2017.
Millen has spent the final 4 years working as an FA coach educator – a job he’ll proceed to do part-time – and his appointment at Croydon comes after Michael Kamara, one other former Palace youth group participant, guided them to a 10-game unbeaten run to push them into mid-table as interim player-manager – with Younger additionally taking cost of three video games.
They’ve been and not using a everlasting supervisor for the reason that departure of Jermaine McGlashen in September.
The membership performs at Mayfield Highway Stadium in Thornton Heath, which has a capability of three,000 and is roughly a 30-minute stroll from Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park stadium.
“I do know Danny very well and I’ve labored with Wilf after we have been at Crystal Palace collectively,” Millen stated. “That was most likely the principle purpose for becoming a member of. I’m a Croydon boy anyway, Crystal Palace is my group however after that, Croydon is my space. In order that obtained me .
“It matches in to the place I’m in my to teaching and administration pathway as a result of I work now with the PFA on this area. Once I took that job I stated I nonetheless wished to teach myself.
That’s that’s my actual love. This function being half time matches very effectively with my PFA work and is a good alternative for me to work with gamers that I’ve labored with earlier than.”
GO DEEPER
Zaha, Stormzy and AFC Croydon Athletic: An unlikely deal defined
(Pete Norton/Getty Pictures)
