Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has described James McArthur as an "absolute stand out professional" as his time with the club draws to an end.

Palace have confirmed that the Scottish midfielder will leave the club at the end of the season after nine years with the Eagles, having joined from Wigan Athletic in September 2014.

He has been a key player for Palace under several different managers since then, with McArthur making 252 appearances to date for the Eagles, scoring 19 goals.

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McArthur is currently the third longest-serving player at Palace, with only Joel Ward and Wilfried Zaha being at the club longer than him.

But now, he is set to depart for pastures new, with Palace confirming that he will leave when his current contract expires this summer. The Eagles have wished the Scotland international all the best for his future and thanked him for his service, which has been echoed by Parish.

He said: “James [McArthur] has been a mainstay of the side for the best part of a decade, and has never given less than 100% when pulling on the shirt – his tenacity and energy has unquestionably had a huge impact on us retaining our Premier League status for that record period of time.

“An absolute stand-out professional, on and off the pitch, James’ leadership and character will be hard to replace. I’d like to personally thank him for his contribution to the club; and wish him and his family nothing but the very best for the future. We look forward to one day welcoming him back; he will always be welcome at Selhurst Park.”

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