By Andrew McSteen

Alan Pardew believes Crystal Palace can build on their superb run of form and challenge for trophies over the next few years.

Since arriving at the club from Newcastle, Pardew has enabled the Eagles to earn a top-half finish and has this season climbed the club to fifth in the Premier League.

And as the manager prepares to start 2016, he is full of optimism about what can happen in SE25 and is keen to play a key role in it.

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“The reason I am talking about a new contract at Palace at the moment is because I feel we can go forward,” he said.

“We have new investment at the club and there’s no point me staying here if I don’t have the ambition because at this point of my career I need to win trophies.

“The landscape of the Premier League changes very quickly and you have to change with it but what I’ve learnt here [at Palace] is that the spirit of the team can take you a long, long way.

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“The spirit of this football club has dragged us past Chelsea and into the position we are in now.

“I have that spirit here and I am very fortunate; you can’t create it yourself, it needs good senior pros, good staff and that spirit can get you through some very difficult matches.”

In his final pre-match press conference of 2015, Pardew also hailed the Palace players and reflected on a sensational year at Selhurst Park.

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