The success at Southampton of Paul Williams, his close friend and former central defensive partner, suggests that Shaw could find Premiership employers if he was available on a free transfer. But he is in no hurry to leave.”People said: ‘Why go to Coventry?’ I’ve been here five years and thoroughly enjoyed it. Why move if you are happy somewhere? Why lug your family half-way across Britain? I want to get back in the Premiership but I’d love to be there with Coventry.”Shaw, now 33, is the sort of solid professional who tends to be overlooked when critics describe football as being peopled by thugs. He talks admiringly of players who handle themselves well on, and off, the pitch.

Most commendably Shaw has refused to cash in on his one brush with controversy. It was Shaw whose close marking irritated Eric Cantona into kicking out, first at Shaw, then at the abusive spectator, Matthew Simmonds, that night at Selhurst Park. Shaw has only ever spoken of it once, and then in the most low-key way, to a tabloid reporter. Appalled at the subsequent article he has not spoken to the red-tops since. While happy to speak to The Independent, he would still rather not go on the record about that night.So we go on a different trip down memory lane Back to 2 November, 1993 Shaw’s third, and last, goal in a 500-game career “I think someone like Gareth Southgate had a shot It rebounded off the keeper I closed my eyes and smacked it.

I was in midfield at the time, now if I cross the half-way I get a nosebleed.”I enjoy defending It is an art in itself. If we win the press always want to talk to Lee Hughes, or Robbie Keane when he was here Fair play to them. But if we have kept a clean sheet I am just as delighted as the guy who scored.”Back in 1990 Palace, having beaten Liverpool, met Manchester United in the final. With substitute Ian Wright scoring – “lovely guy, he and Mark Bright deserve everything they get, they worked as hard as any players I’ve seen” – Palace were 3-2 up with seven minutes of extra-time remaining when Mark Hughes intervened United won the replay 1-0.

“I was just a kid and the senior pros said: ‘Enjoy the day, your career goes quick’ Me and John Salako were the kids of the team We were thinking: ‘There’ll be a few others’ Eleven years later we’re still waiting.”Maybe this year Maybe he will even score As Shaw knows, unexpected things happen in the FA Cup.. If Peter Taylor, the Brighton manager, believed that this was a chance to taste some FA Cup success after last season’s Wycombe-inspired humiliation while he was with Leicester, he underestimated the desire and determination of his First Division opponents, who had a comfortable victory wrapped up just after the hour last night. The prolific Bobby Zamora missed a first-half penalty in front of the interested Everton manager Walter Smith and the debutant goalkeeper Will Packham gifted Preston their second goal.With Zamora misfiring it was left to the newly-recruited Frenchman Erik Skora to take centre stage. He scored the opening goal ­ a cool finish from David Healy’s lofted pass in the 16th minute ensuring he lived up to his name ­ and gave a performance combining strength and skill to help Preston dominate midfield and earn themselves a fourth-round home tie with Sheffield United.Zamora is considerably further down the road than Skora in the fear he spreads among defenders, but this was not one of his best nights. Taylor said he could play “ten times better than this” and is lacking confidence.