William Gallas: 'I had contact with Crystal Palace'

Perth Glory defender William Gallas has said that he was in talks with Premier League side Crystal Palace in the summer before moving Down Under.

The defender's Tottenham Hotspur contract ran out at the end of last season, and the former Arsenal and Chelsea defender has revealed that he came close to joining the Premier League newboys.

"Palace? A lot of things were rumoured," he told Sky Sports News. "I had a few contacts, but not as many as were rumoured. Anyway, it was the right time to start something new."

Gallas was also in contact with a number of French clubs, and said that he was happy to take a paycut and be a substitute to play in his homeland.

"If I stayed in Europe, I would have liked to join a club to be a substitute," said Gallas. "For example at Marseille, I would have been happy to do that. I told their officials. I didn't want big wages. I would have been there to help the young players and play when needed. I would have loved to end my career at Marseille.

"Why didn't it happen? You will have to ask them. There was no money issue. I just wanted to take in a final year in France. You can't be scared of 36-year-old players.

"Did I talk with other Ligue 1 clubs? Two or three - Marseille, Lyon and Nice. But they didn't feel the same as me, so there is no problem."

Gallas signed a six-month contract with the A-League side last month.