Former Blackpool, Crystal Palace and Southampton man sacked after just seven games

Former Blackpool striker Jason Puncheon has been relieved of his duties as a manager after just seven games in charge.

The 37-year-old was in charge of Cypriot side AEZ Zakakiou but they have chosen to end his reign following a winless start. He oversaw seven matches with a record of five defeats and two draws with the club bottom of the league and four points adrift of safety. Puncheon has been replaced by 53-year-old Serbian Vladica Petrovic who has managed 12 clubs, mainly in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A club statement posted on March 7 read: "AEZ ZAKAKIOU announces the mutual consent solution of its cooperation with Mr. Jason Puncheon Mr. Dragan Stevovic, Christos Chapatsoulis and George Stavrou.

"We thank everyone for their excellent and professional cooperation and we wish them all the best on a professional and personal level."

AEZ Zakakiou was Puncheon's second job as a manager having been in charge of Cypriot second division side Peyia 2014 and lasted 18 games there, winning eight of his matches.

Puncheon's time at Blackpool was brief but he was part of the side that played in the 2010/11 Premier League campaign. He scored three goals in 11 matches having joined from Southampton who were in League One at the time. The Croydon-born midfielder spent a large part of his career at Selhurst Park, making 169 appearances for the Eagles, scoring 16 goals in a six-year spell in South London, all in the Premier League.

His other clubs include Wimbledon where he began his career, as well as Barnet, Southampton, Millwall and Huddersfield Town. He has been involved in Cypriot football since joining Pafos in 2019, and wound down his playing career there with Anorthosis, retiring in 2023. In total, he made 565 appearances in his career, registering 70 assists and 68 goals. Most of the games that he played in were in the Premier League, playing an impressive 204 times in the top-flight of English football.