If you like books and films, you’ve probably heard or read the phrase “the eagle has landed” many times. But this story is about the Eagle that will fly away. Veteran midfielder Luka Milivojevic will soon leave Crystal Palace.On Wednesday, the Premier League club announced that the 32-year-old central midfielder will depart Selhurst Park after a six-year stay.The Serbian midfielder joined Palace in 2017 from Olympiacos, making 198 appearances for the club across seven Premier League seasons, contributing to Palace achieving safety and establishing a club record decade-long spell in the top-flight.##NAJAVA_MECA_7277163##His 28 goals place him third in Palace’s all-time Premier League standings behind only Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha; he was the club’s top scorer in both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns, notably notching the winner in the dramatic 3-2 victory over champions Manchester City in 2018.Milivojevic has captained the side since 2018 and has been praised for his leadership qualities by a succession of managers, coaches and teammates. The former Crvena zvezda, Anderlecht and Olympiacos man issued a statement in which he thanked the red-and-blue supporters for everything they’ve given him since 2017.”It has been a privilege to spend almost seven years at such a special club,” Milivojevic said. “I want to thank all of the managers, coaches and staff members who made my stay here such an enjoyable one. When I look at the club now compared to when I arrived, I see a team full of ambition to reach higher and higher – you can be sure I will be following the results from afar. To the fans: there is something special about Selhurst Park, and the way you got behind me on the field, whether we were winning or losing, is something I will never forget. To play in the Premier League is every player’s dream, and to do it for so long at Crystal Palace has been an honour – I hope that I have made you all proud.”Luka Milivojević’s impact for this football club cannot be overstated. Came in and made an incredible difference at a time of need. Gave us some magical moments.Goes down as a club hero and will always be fondly remembered.#CPFC pic.twitter.com/m5EYwL1F8j— CPFC HQ (@CPFCHQ) May 24, 2023 Milivojevic has been linked with moves to his former clubs, Serbian champions Crvena zvezda (also known as Red Star Belgrade) and Greek giants Olympiacos. However, there is no deal in place just yet.
