London club Crystal Palace announced the signing of Patrick Vieira as manager for the next three seasons on Sunday.

The former international was without a club since December and his dismissal by OGC Nice.

"I am really looking forward to returning to the Premier League," he said. 

Former French international Patrick Vieira, without a club since his dismissal by Nice in December 2020, is the new coach of Crystal Palace, the London club announced on Sunday, which plays in the English 1st division.

"Crystal Palace is delighted to confirm the appointment of Patrick Vieira as coach for the next three seasons," Crystal Place said in its statement.



We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Patrick Vieira as our new manager until 2024 ✍️ # CPFC |

https://t.co/utMcYSDkhb

- Crystal Palace FC (@CPFC) July 4, 2021

Vieira, 45, succeeds Roy Hodgson, in office from 2017 to last June, who allowed the "Eagles" to finish last season in 14th place in the Premier League.

"I am really looking forward to returning to the Premier League and leading this great club to start a new chapter together," said Vieira.

An Arsenal legend

The 1998 world champion and 2000 European champion, selected 107 times in Blue between 1997 and 2009, will indeed return to England, the country where he was revealed as a player.

Trained in Cannes, he left France at the age of 19, to join AC Milan (1995-96), a brief step, before his long stay at Arsenal, where he became one of the best midfielders in the world and the idol of the London club.

Phenomenal physique and technique far above average, Vieira had found in the Premier League the ideal field of expression and won with the "Gunners" three English league titles (1998, 2002, 2004) and four editions of the England Cup.

18 months at OGC Nice

It was also in England that he began his coaching career, as head of development for Manchester City, then in charge of the reserve team of the club where he had played one last season, in 2010-11, after passages through Italy (Juventus Turin, from 2005 to 2006, and Inter Milan, from 2006 to 2010)).

Vieira then made his big debut as a head coach at New York City FC, one of Galaxy City's satellite clubs, in the North American Championship (MLS). He returned to France in 2018 to take over the management of Nice, an 18-month experience with mixed results.