john salako

First team coach at the Crystal Palace Football Club and sports television and radio presenter John Salako is best known for his former career in professional football, in which he carved out an impressive record that spans close to two decades.

With the majority of the retired English midfielder’s active years spent at Crystal Palace, where he was first signed from the Westerham FC youth arm, he would transfer five more times to Coventry City, Fulham, Charlton Athletic, and Reading before announcing his retirement from Brentford in 2005. His career stats include 510 appearances, forty-nine goals scored, and five caps for England’s national team. Salako was a versatile player, taking up the centre-forward and left-winger mantle when necessary during his time at Crystal Palace. Prior to becoming their first-team coach in 2015, he worked with former teammate Mark Bright as a coach for the Under-16 team.

Now a match day correspondent and presenter for Sky Sports, Salako uses his influence to speak on racial issues that discourage black players from pursuing coaching positions in the league. He is also SME Business Finance’s Business Development Director, and acts as ambassador for the app Pitch DMM, a service allows football fans to engage with their favourite clubs and voice their opinions on issues such as leadership, transfers, and gameplay. Off the air, fans can engage with Salako and enjoy more of his intelligent analysis and commentary on his active Twitter account.