Adorning a large double billboard located on Streatham High Road were striking images of two Crystal Palace players in action. Specifically two academy players.“Born in South London,” the poster boasted.On one, the forward Sean Scannell was controlling an aerial ball. On the other, team-mate Nathaniel Clyne was holding off a Norwich City player. “South London and Proud” read the smaller taglines underneath the images.That was back in 2011. Both Scannell and Clyne had long since established themselves in the Palace first team after emerging through the academy. But it is Clyne, 15 years on, whose legacy endures most of all.He will not return to Palace next season following the expiry of his latest contract, ending a second stint at his boyhood club which had extended for six seasons. Clyne, now 35, is well past his peak, but he made an invaluable contribution since returning ‘home’ in 2020, the full-back even covering as a right-sided centre-back in a three at times.But it was really his performances in that first spell for which he will be most fondly remembered, after making his debut as a 17-year-old in a 3-0 win over Barnsley in 2008. He was awarded the player of the match that night. He went on to make 29 appearances in all competitions in that first campaign as a teenager.A young Nathaniel Clyne takes on George Friend of Wolves in March 2009 (Tom Shaw/Getty Images)Clyne may not be the most expressive player, on or off the pitch. He is arguably rather understated — other than in one social media post, long since deleted, which reminded Millwall of their status and went down in Palace folklore — but that has not prevented him from being appreciated by supporters.There was acknowledgement from elsewhere, too. His list of honours at the club extended to being named young player of the season in 2008-09 and again in 2009-10, then Palace’s player of the season in 2010-11. The Football League made him their young player of the year in 2010, and he was also in the PFA’s team of the year for 2011-12 — his last campaign in that first stint in south London.