One of several players that came to the fore once Neil Warnock arrived, Fonte will be key if Palace are to push for promotion in 2008/09
After a protracted battle, Palace finally won international clearance to bring this dominant central defender to London on an initial 12-month loan from Benfica in late July 2007.
A trainee at Sporting Lisbon, he failed to impress previous boss Peter Taylor, but like so many of his team-mates he really came to the fore following Neil Warnock’s arrival at Selhurst Park in October 2007, where his composure, allied to his strength in the tackle made him an automatic choice alongside skipper Mark Hudson.
No stranger to loan spells, having spent periods at both Estrela Amadora and Pacis Ferreira during his time with the Super Eagles. Fonte’s younger brother Rui is a highly rated striker on the books at Arsenal.