Ashton glad he rejected Palace

Dean Ashton faces Crystal Palace tomorrow claiming he was right not to sign for them.

The striker made a career-shaping decision in January when he left Crewe for Norwich in a £3million deal. He was Iain Dowie's No1 target in the last two transfer windows and the subject of a late bid to match Norwich's last time around, but he says he never came close to joining Palace.

Ashton judged a move to Norwich the safer option. Palace may be a place above them going into tomorrow's battle for survival at Selhurst Park, but the 21-year-old was thinking longer term.

He said: "I am really glad I made the choice to join Norwich. I took a long time to think about it and I think I made the right decision. This is a stable, well-run club and I was used to that at Crewe.

"The club are well set up whatever happens. I knew when I joined there was a chance things would not go right and we could go down. But it was about getting the right club for me and the right stepping stone."

Whether Ashton, influenced by Crewe manager and former Palace boss Dario Gradi, made the right choice should be clearer after tomorrow. But it is hard to argue with his long-term logic and that must be extremely galling for Dowie. For all the good work the manager has done at Palace, the club still do not look like a top-flight outfit off the pitch.

Selhurst Park is still owned by former chairman Ron Noades, the facilities at their training ground have been a cause for concern and no one can be certain of Simon Jordan's long-term intentions.

The chairman made noises last summer that he was ready to sell the club and leave football and his transfer investments since have done nothing to suggest otherwise. Palace have been conservative in their spending this season and Dowie has missed out on several players, including Ashton, who he thought could keep them up.