Ian Holloway: 'I wanted Jonjo Shelvey at Crystal Palace'

Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway has admitted that he was keen on bringing midfielder Jonjo Shelvey to Selhurst Park.

The recently-promoted Premier League outfit were in the running for the England Under-21 international, but the midfielder opted to leave Liverpool for Swansea City.

"We are not in the position yet to compete with teams that have been in [the Premier League] for a couple of years," Holloway told the South London Press.

"Jonjo Shelvey was on the list, I had him at Blackpool. But Swansea have been at this level for a couple of years and that puts them at a slightly different level to us."

The 21-year-old put pen to paper on a four-year deal.