Connor Wickham EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Sunderland, Crystal Palace striker discusses reality of 18 months without club | football news

Three months into his second season at Crystal Palace – following a £9m move from Sunderland in the summer of 2015 – Connor Wickham’s career changed course.

In a 5–4 Premier League defeat at Swansea, the striker ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament – and made just one 90th-minute substitute appearance between 26 November 2016 and Christmas Day 2018 due to further setbacks.

He never started a top-flight game for the Eagles again.

“I was flying at the time,” he says Sky Sports. “It was starting to really, really come together. I was really coming into my peak.

“When I did it, it absolutely blew me away and the rehab probably didn’t help much. If I hadn’t done my ACL, I think I would have been on a completely different path.”

There was a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday in 2019/20, but Wickham then missed the whole of 2020/21 before Palace released him. Short spells at Preston, MK Dons, Forest Green, Cardiff and Charlton followed.

That’s where we speak to the 33-year-old Sky Sports As he drives down the M1. He is participating in the ongoing second season PFA pre-seasonBut he’s done for the week and is heading home to south-east London.

“To be honest with you, I used to live in Charlton,” he says.

“I told everyone around me, as soon as Nathan Jones came in, they were 100 per cent going to be promoted next season. I could see it in a short time.

“But we had conversations and it didn’t work out, so I just had to move on and find myself.”

A period of almost 18 months without a club followed.

“There was a lot going on in my personal life at the time. There were things happening that limited me in terms of where I could go and what I could do,” he says.

“I got into a club to train. It was a mix between the first team and the U23s, but it was still a really good standard. There were two top staff members who I’ve known throughout my career and they really fitted in. I owe them a lot.

“I was training four or five times a week and was fit all season (in 2024/25), so I was ready to go at any time. It’s just a shame that all the opportunities I was getting were four or five hours away. At the time, I had to prioritize my family.”

That extended time out of the game eventually began to take its toll on Wickham, though.

“I got to the point where I couldn’t stand watching football because I knew I could do what I was watching other people do. It was like a torture session, almost a jealousy thing. I want to play, I’m ready to play, I’m fit to play, I can do it.

“There are a lot worse things in life than not playing football. But when it’s your bread and butter, when it’s your life, it gets really, really hard.

“But I guess you either surrender to it and choose to give up or you just bite the bullet, keep going and keep trying to see the bigger picture and it’s not forever.

“My mindset at that point was, if I switch off and shut down completely and the phone rings, if I don’t do it, I’m going to regret it. It’s probably one of the hardest things you can go through as a player.

“If I had stopped, I don’t know where I’d be, but in my mind I was never going to stop. I was never ready to stop. I think it’s just the grit and determination you develop from being in professional football and fortunately at the level I’m playing at.”

“My missus has done a great job trying to keep me going. In the following days, she’s there to give me small talk and a little encouragement. My mum and dad are second to none. Without them, who knows?”

Last summer, Wickham trained with Bromley in pre-season, but when a permanent deal did not materialise, he joined the second edition of the PFA pre-season, Fully funded training camp held in Champneys Springs, Leicestershire, aimed at preparing free agents for their next step.

He went viral after scoring from the halfway line in a friendly against Man Utd’s U21s and last October signed for Dubai City, who play in the second tier of UAE football.

“There were a few opportunities to stay in England at the time, but I was looking for an experience; I wanted to play abroad, I wanted to see what it was like,” he added.

“But as soon as I got there, I realized how much I still had to give. I would be disappointed with the results or certain standards or certain levels. The guys were brilliant, don’t get me wrong. The coaching staff was brilliant too, but I think it’s just the culture there. They’re very relaxed, very chilled. I wanted to win so much.

“I just realized that maybe I have to go back to England because the drive is here. The culture is more physical, the demand to win, the values, the drive you get from the team and the club and being in that environment, I’m more mental.

“I’d give the lifestyle a 10 out of 10, but it’s more of a holiday destination than a football destination for me.”

Middle Eastern experiences narrowed Wickham’s focus. He wants to return to English football. It’s as simple as that.

“I’m happy to do what I have to do to get back to England. At the moment, physically I feel great. Mentally, being back in training, being around the boys, being in that environment is a really big boost. Physically, training and the football side of it, you can only go forward.

“I’d say the time I came out of the game, I had to do more than anyone to get to that position.

“But I don’t want to get to the point where I blame myself because I’m not doing the right thing or in the right position or how hard I’ve worked. I don’t want to question what I’ve done. The PFA pre-season is something I’m devoting my time to. I have to plug in 100 per cent to prepare.

“I still believe in my quality, my level and what I can contribute. I still want to compete. I still want to be the best. I feel good physically. I still feel like 28 years old mentally. I still see the game the way I did, I can still do the things I used to do.

“Patience is not my strength, but at this point, I just have to try and be patient and stay consistent with myself. I believe that something will happen and I have to be ready for it.”

If and when that happens, Wickham says he only has one person to prove anything to.

“The drive is still there, the passion is still there and I don’t think it will ever go away. Maybe it’s just a personal battle with myself. In football everyone has an opinion; it’s more about doing it for yourself. I’m trying a little bit to come back.

“I don’t think I have unfinished business, but I do think my career is unfinished. I still have a lot of work to do.”