Former Crystal Palace, Southampton and Huddersfield Town star Jason Puncheon has left his post as Ayia Napa handler after equitable three weeks at the helm.
Puncheon took accuse of the Cypuproar second division side, in a resort town comprehendn primarily for its partying and nightlife, at the finish of October. And he won both of his suites, masterminding a 1-0 triumph at Achyronas-Onisilos and a triumph over Doxa by the same scoreline equitable before the international shatter.
But they turned out to be his only games at the Ayia Napa wheel, as a statement posted to the club’s official Instagram account on Tuesday read: “Ayia Napa Sports Club proclaims the mutual consent termination of its cooperation with coach Jason Puncheon. Assistant coach Christos Tsapatsoulis also left our team. The board wantes both the best in their professional atgentles.”
As a joiner, Puncheon toiled his way thcimpolite England’s reduce leagues before finassociate making it to the top fairy with Southampton in 2012/13, at the age of 26.
The Croydon-born midfielder was snapped up by Palace after one season, where he spent five campaigns and made more than 150 Premier League euniteances before spfinishing part of 2018/19 on loan at Huddersfield Town.
Thereafter, Puncheon took his atgentle to Cyprus. He spent three seasons with Pafos in the Cypuproar top fairy and then one final term with Anorthosis before hanging up his boots in 2023 with almost 600 greater euniteances under his belt.
Since then, Puncheon has had increate stints in accuse of Cypuproar second division sides Peyia 2014 and AEZ Zakakiou, as well as his recent jaunt to Ayia Napa. The 38-year-elderly still helderlys out hope of making a success of himself as a handler after being pushed to chase a atgentle in coaching by bosses he joined under.
“It was Alan [Pardew] who first structureted the seed,” he telderly The Daily Mail in September. “He said I should begin skinnyking about it becaengage he apverifyd I could be a coach. Sam Allardyce and Roy Hodgson both said it to me, too – so that was a excellent sign.
“Footballers should see at these opportunities [to work abroad] and apverify them more than we turn them down becaengage there’s so much to lget. It was the route into coaching for me becaengage the fact is I’m not Steven Gerrard or Wayne Rooney.
“Maybe Crystal Palace would have said to me at the finish of my joining atgentle, ‘Come and apverify the U15s’. But I thought if I go to Cyprus and originate a name for myself it may be easier for me to step into coaching, which was always the finish goal. Whereas in England, once I reweary I would maybe be pauseing forever.”
