Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish has insisted that his club could have matched the ambition of departing manager Dougie Freedman.

Freedman, 38, ended his 19-month stint in charge of Palace earlier today by agreeing to become the new manager of Championship rivals Bolton Wanderers.

Despite insisting that there are no hard feelings where Freedman is concerned, Parish is adamant that the Scot could have realised his aims had he have stayed put.

"I had a very good relationship with Dougie and I wish him every success in the future. Football is a precarious situation for managers, eight games ago we had a boycott of fans wanting him out," he told Sky Sports News.

"Dougie feels his career can be served elsewhere, I don't feel betrayed and now we have to find a new manager. He had a good offer on the table from us.

"Dougie is not hugely motivated by money but maybe I could be proved wrong. It is more about ambition. I feel that we have got ambition, we want to get into the Premier League and stay there."

Steve Coppell has been installed as the early favourite with the bookmakers to replace Freedman at Selhurst Park.