Pape Souare thanks Crystal Palace fans after 'emotional' return to first-team football

Pape Souare said he was touched by the reception he received from Crystal Palace fans during his first appearance since the car crash that could have ended his career.

Souare came on as a half-time substitute in Tuesday night’s 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup — a year on from a horrific accident that left him with a broken thigh and a fractured jaw.

The defender was introduced to chants of ‘One Pape Souare’ ringing around Selhurst Park and admitted he found it emotional being back on a football pitch.

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Souare, who feared he would never walk again after his crash and feels lucky to be alive, said today: “It was a fantastic feeling to be back.

“I just want to say thanks to the fans. That touched me a lot and I give everything for them. I have been out for a long time so I was waiting for that moment.”

Souare played the whole of the second half and produced a solid display at left-back.

Palace manager Roy Hodgson said Souare still has “a long way to go” before he is back to the player he was before his accident last September.

Hodgson said: “I am delighted for Pape but you have got to be cautious with him.

“I thought he was struggling a bit in the first five or ten minutes. But he got through that and made two very important challenges coming in from left-back.”