Terry Phelan has walked out on Fulham following a furious bust-up with his bosses.
The experienced left-back is hopping mad at his lack of first-team action this
season and emergency peace talks with Craven Cottage chief Jean Tigana have been
arranged for next week to stop Phelan quitting the Division One leaders.
Crystal Palace are poised to snap up the £750,000-rated Republic of Ireland international
following his successful loan spell there last season.
Fulham PR chief Max Clifford admitted: "We hope the situation can be resolved.
Terry is a valuable part of our squad but everyone understands what we need to
win the First Division is a squad. "Senior players want first-team football and
Fulham want him to be a part of our squad."
Phelan's £4,500-a-week deal with Fulham expires this summer but, at the moment,
the former Everton star is not training with his team-mates. He has also skipped
his country's World Cup qualifier in Holland today because of flu. Phelan, 33,
is growing increasingly frustrated at taking a backseat to Rufus Brevett in defence.
His only appearance this season was in a virtual Fulham reserve side that suffered
a 1-0 Worthington Cup defeat at Northampton. He snapped last weekend and stormed
out of the ground when French coach Tigana omitted him from the squad which beat
Stockport 4-1.
Phelan has not returned and becomes the second player to slam the tactics of Fulham's
new boss. Striker Geoff Horsfield, now with Birmingham, criticised Tigana, claiming
he was axed for being too aggressive.
Source supergoals