
Salako was one of Ron Atkinson’s ‘big buys’ in the summer of 1995 when the board gave Big Ron the open chequebook and he spent £1.5 million on the Palace winger. He was a key member of an outstanding Crystal Palace side of the early 90s along with Ian Wright, Mark Bright and Richard Shaw. Under the shrewd management of Steve Coppell Palace reached the FA Cup final in 1990 only to lose after a replay to Manchester United and the following season finished third in the old Division One. John was a virtual ever-present and won four of his five England caps but early the following season he suffered a serious knee injury which not only sidelined him for a whole year but also affected the rest of his career. Palace fans argue he was never the same player again. His early performances at Coventry earned him a recall to the England squad but he failed to impress consistently over his three seasons at Coventry. His recurring knee injury and a back problem restricted his appearances but when on form he was one of the most talented wingers in the country but too often he gave the impression of being too casual. After Strachan became manager in late 1996 his appearances became less and less and on transfer deadline 1998 he joined Bolton but stayed only a few months before signing for Fulham. After one frustrating season at Craven Cottage he had two seasons at Charlton before reuniting with his old boss Coppell at Reading in 2001 and playing over 100 games for the Royals in three seasons. His last club was Brentford and since hanging up his boots he has developed a career in the media with Sky Television as a match reporter.
Penalties (1 - scored)
1995-96
30 December 1995 v Bolton Wanderers A, scored



































































































































































































