DOUGIE Freedman has left Crystal Palace to become the new manager at Championship rivals Bolton Wanderers. The Trotters were given permission to talk with Freedman yesterday afternoon after their initial request to speak with the Scot was rejected by the Eagles.

It is believed they have offered the 38-year-old a three-year deal which will see him double his annual salary to £500,000.

Freedman's departure was confirmed by a statement on the Crystal Palace website.

It said: "Crystal Palace Football Club can confirm that first team manager Dougie Freedman has joined Bolton Wanderers.

"The board of the club would like to put on record their thanks to Dougie for all his efforts over the past couple of years and their disappointment over the events of the past few days .

"The search for a replacement starts immediately.

"The team at tonight's game against Barnsley will be taken by assistant manager Lennie Lawrence and first team coach Curtis Fleming."

Steve Coppell has been installed as the early 2-1 favourite to return to Selhurst for a fifth spell in control of the club he last managed in 2000.

Other candidates' odds with Stan James are: 5-1 Lennie Lawrence and/or Curtis Fleming; 8-1 Mick McCarthy, John Pemberton; 12-1 Mike Bright and/or John Salako, Sean Dyche; 16-1 Karl Robinson, Tony Popovic; 18-1 Attilo Lombardo; 20-1 Nigel Worthington; 22-1 Gareth Southgate, Alan Curbishley, Billy Davies, Owen Coyle; 25-1 Jim Magilton, Keith Millen, Paul Ince, Phil Brown, Gordon Strachan, Chris Coleman, Glenn Hoddle; 28-1 Iain Dowie, Andy Scott; 33-1 bar.

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