Routledge hits back in Palace row over agents

Wayne Routledge today said he cannot understand the fuss over his decision to reject a new five-year deal at Crystal Palace.

The winger is set to leave this month as he would be out of contract in the summer and able to go for a relatively small compensation fee.

Routledge wants the chance to join a bigger club but his decision has been greeted with outrage from Palace chairman Simon Jordan, who hit out at the 20-year-old's agents, Paul Stretford's Formation Group.

He tried to cut them out of the new contract negotiations by talking directly with Routledge but the winger said his position was always clear.

The England Under-21 international said: "My job is to play football and I have always left contracts and that sort of thing to my agents.

"I have been with them for about three years and Palace were aware that they would need to talk to them before I made a decision."