EAGLES new-boy Dean Moxey opened his account on Saturday against Derby to show his former employers their loss is Crystal Palace and Dougie Freedman’s gain.

The marauding full-back has become an unexpected fans’ favourite since signing in January for a reported £400,000.

But manager Freedman isn’t at all surprised by how well the 25-year-old has performed since his arrival in SE25.

He said: “Without sounding too cocky, I knew how good a player Dean was and I was really excited to get him and he’s only proven me right.

“When I went after him I had to wait two weeks before I got an answer from Derby, so obviously they knew what a good player he was.

“But I wanted to buy him and play him in the right kind of role.

“I wanted to let him get forward and really express himself and he’s started to do that, so I think he’s a really good addition to the squad.”

And the former Ram certainly expressed himself on Saturday, scoring a 20-yard thunderbolt to draw Palace level.

The goal came just moments after an almost identical attempt nearly hit the back of the net, proving confidence clearly isn’t in short supply where Moxey is concerned.

But his new boss was as impressed with his overall performance as he was by the goal and insists there is even more to come from the player in the future.

Freedman explained: “You saw on Saturday, it was a fantastic goal and his overall performance was decent as well, so fair play to the kid. He’s come into the team, he’s really stuck at it and he’s really enjoying himself.

“He’s got a long way to go, he’s got massive potential and I think I can make him even better than he is now.”

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