Crystal Palace are renowned for their factory-like production of star talents, as Roy Hodgson continues to pattern out the pathway for the next wave of exciting players to grace the pitch at Selhurst Park.
From Gareth Southgate to Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the Eagles have nurtured an abundance of quality in their history, with not many names as authentically Palace than recently departed Wilfried Zaha.
The Ivorian closed the book on his 18-year association with the south London club, which he started as a 12-year-old and left as a 30-year-old in what was the ultimate success story.
In 458 total appearances for his boyhood club, Zaha departed a legend as he seeked a new adventure in Turkey, signing for Galatasaray on a three-year deal.
The Selhurst hero isn’t the only academy graduate that has hit triple figures in terms of his appearances for Palace, with another being Nathaniel Clyne, who has registered 198 appearances since his debut as a 17-year-old in 2008.
Unlike Zaha, the Englishman’s trajectory with reference to his status as a club legend has taken a turn, as he spent years away from south London before returning as a far lesser player.
What is Nathaniel Clyne’s salary at Palace?
After eight years away from the club, Clyne returned in 2020 as part of a free transfer from Liverpool.
The right-back left his surroundings in the capital to join Southampton in 2012, where he developed for three years before being captured by the Reds, where he made 103 appearances between nursing injuries and fighting for a place in the squad.
At the point of his return to Palace, Clyne was handed a salary of £4.1m-per-year, equating to a weekly wage of £80k which marked his highest career salary, despite being on the books at Anfield.
During his first taste away from Selhurst, the Englishman was earning around £25k-per-week for the Saints, suggesting the rise in his performance and experience for him to return to his stomping ground on a far more lucrative deal.
How much has Nathaniel Clyne earned in his career so far?
During his career, Capology has calculated that the 14-time capped England international has received a total of £38.3m in wages, representing Palace, Southampton, Liverpool and Bournemouth.
Nathaniel Clyne career earnings, per Capology
Club
Year/s
Weekly wage
Yearly wage
Southampton
2013/14
£25,000
£1,300,000
Southampton
2014/15
£27,000
£1,404,000
Liverpool
2015-2019
£75,000
£3,900,000
Bournemouth (Loan)
2018/19
£75,000
£3,900,000
Liverpool
2019/20
£70,000
£3,640,000
Crystal Palace
2020-2024
£80,000
£4,160,000
The rough estimate works out as Clyne earning around £89.8k per appearance throughout his career, with his domestic appearance count currently sitting at 425 for all clubs in all competitions.
When does his contract expire?
At 32 years of age, the Londoner’s contract at Palace is set to expire in the summer of 2024, with less than a year remaining on his deal and his next steps looking unclear at present.
Since his return three years ago, Clyne has registered just 61 appearances in all competitions for the Eagles, with his role becoming far more sporadic as time goes on and Palace’s defence progresses without his presence.
In the final year of his deal, the former Liverpool ace will collect another £4.1m, which is a sum to be argued considering his lack of claim to game time and highly-deteriorated quality since his early days.
Does Clyne deserve to earn so much?
Previously branded as “poor” by journalist Josh Bunting, Clyne has seen a significant decline to his game, mostly attributive to his sufficient time away from the action throughout his career due to injury.
Between less-serious niggles and strains, the 32-year-old has suffered two significant spells on the sidelines, with both injury woes coming at Liverpool.
During the 2017/18 campaign, the Englishman was unavailable for selection for a total of 257 days due to a back injury, with his luck getting no better in the buildup to the 2019/20 season as he sustained a huge blow in pre-season with the Reds.
During Liverpool’s pre-season tour, Clyne fell victim of an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, which left him out of action for almost a whole year, an absence that severely tarnished his future at Anfield.
While he was away, homegrown star Trent Alexander-Arnold rose through the ranks, and quickly became the natural successor to Clyne, leaving the Palace academy graduate to deal with the acceptance of his value to Jurgen Klopp decreasing.
There’s no denying the player that the defender once was, as highlighted by his numbers the season prior to his arrival on Merseyside, where he maintained an average match rating of 7.04 for the Saints in the 2014/15 Premier League.
As per WhoScored, the right-back averaged 3.3 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game for the south coast club that campaign, which not only showcased the levels he was operating at, but also signifies his decline when comparing his current numbers.
Last season for Palace in the league, the Londoner averaged 1.2 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game for the Eagles, while recording an average match rating of just 6.29.
In comparison to other players at Selhurst, Clyne is far from being regarded as a first team regular, with him yet to make an appearance in the league this term in the opening six fixtures.
How much do other Crystal Palace players earn?
Any idea for a dispute over the Englishman’s pay would be viable, considering he is currently the club’s fourth-highest earner, with his salary leading some of the most vital individuals to Hodgson’s set-up.
As per Capology, Clyne’s £80k-per-week wage places him behind only Michael Olise, Dean Henderson and Odsonne Edouard, who are all frequent performers in the starting eleven selected by the manager.
Sitting below the 32-year-old on the pay register are the likes of Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Cheick Doucoure, who are all considered as star members of the squad at Selhurst, making the difference in pay questionable.
Not many would mind earning £30k-per-week, which is the figure that Eze picks up from the Eagles, however, with reference to Clyne’s current deal, there is a clear imbalance to the wage paid to the player and his contribution to the team.
Over the four years that the academy graduate is set to complete next summer, he has earned a sum of over £12m for his services, which roughly works out as around £197k per appearance in that time.
Despite his contribution to the club in his entire career, the right-back’s recent influence on the squad has been almost invisible, as Steve Parish and Hodgson continue to keep the ball rolling and the youth developing around the first team.
Based on the amount Clyne has cost Palace since his return in 2020, the Englishman has rinsed Parish for millions, giving very little back in correlation to his pay packet.