Former Crystal Palace defender Pape Souare: The accident was very hard for me and my family

Former Crystal Palace defender looking to relaunch his career at Charlton Athletic.
Rahman Osman
By Rahman Osman
Published 14th Sep 2021, 11:58 BST
Updated 14th Sep 2021, 12:05 BST
Pape Souare of Crystal Palace in action during the Barclays Premier League match Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images).Pape Souare of Crystal Palace in action during the Barclays Premier League match Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images).
Pape Souare of Crystal Palace in action during the Barclays Premier League match Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images).

New Charlton Athletic defender Pape Souare says the car crash he suffered in 2016 was a difficult period for his family.

The former Crystal Palace defender was airlifted to the hospital after being involved in a car crash on the M4 that kept him out of the game for almost a year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His Mercedes was completely wrecked and his career has taken a hit following an underwhelming spell at French Ligue 2 side Troyes.

The 31-year-old has now joined English League One side Charlton Athletic aiming to rebuild his career and help the club back to where they belong.

In his first interview since signing for Charlton Athletic, the defender gave an insight into how tough things were after his crash.

Souare told the Club’s website: “The accident was very hard for me and my family, but I just can’t wait to get started because I’m ready to go.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It was hard with the pandemic, that was hard for everyone but I’m very happy to be here and ’m ready to get going and help bring this club back to where it belongs. I’m really excited.”

Crystal Palace fans display a banner for Pape Souare of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)Crystal Palace fans display a banner for Pape Souare of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)
Crystal Palace fans display a banner for Pape Souare of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)

Five facts about Pape Souare at a glance

  • Pape Souare was part of the Senegal squad that played at the London 2012 OLympics, he featured in all three games his country played in.
  • Pape Souare first moved to Europe in 2008, joining Lille from Patrick Vieira’s academy in Senegal, Diambars FC. 
  • Pape Souare has 22 caps for Senegal with a goal to show for it. 
  • Pape Souare signed for Crystal Palace in 2015 for a reported fee of £3.5 million. 
  • Pape Souare was born in Mbao Senegal.

Five facts about Charlton Athletic at a glance

  •  The club was founded in 1905 in London.
  • Charlton’s biggest ever league win was an 8-1 Division 1 victory over Middlesbrough in September 1953.
  • Jason Euell is Charlton’s all-time top Premier League scorer with 34 goals.
  • Charlton’s points tally of 101 on their way to winning League One in 2012 is the most points they’ve ever achieved in a single campaign.
  • Nigel Adkins is the current manager. 
Related topics:Crystal PalaceLeague OneMercedes

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.