Emmanuel Adebayor says he struggled at Crystal Palace because the style of football did not suit him.

The Togo international joined Alan Pardew’s side in January on a six-month loan deal.

Adebayor went on to play 15 games for the Eagles but only scored one goal – a fine header in a defeat to Watford in February.

And the former Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City striker has explained why he failed to establish himself in south London when revealing the details of an exchange he had with Lyon boss Bruno Genesio.

“I've been playing at the highest level for 15 years and I have worked with some of the best coaches in the world - Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho, Didier Deschamps, Roberto Mancini,” Adebayor said.

“He asked me why it didn't work at Crystal Palace. I told him that I've always played for teams aiming for the English title or a European title.

“It's the first time I've been in a team battling relegation and the play didn't suit me.”

Adebayor, 32, was on the verge of joining Ligue 1 club Lyon but Genesio pulled out of the deal due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations.

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But Adebayor has labelled this reason as a “ridiculous excuse”.

The talisman added in an interview with French outlet L’Equipe: “They said that? That's nonsense. They came to me after we had qualified [for the Africa Cup of Nations].

“They knew I was going to play. If they start looking for such excuses, they will kill themselves. I'm the captain of my country, so how could I not go? What if a Frenchman refused to play in the Euros?

Adebayor continued: “I arrived on Friday morning to speak to the coach. I thought it was just a medical then to sign. The coach asked me surprising questions. He wanted to know if I was married, if I had a kid.

“I will move onto something else, even if this was a really funny chapter.”

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