KEITH MILLEN believes Crystal Palace could be the challenge Tony Pulis is seeking as he looks for a return to management.
The caretaker boss knows the former Stoke City manager well and says his biggest attribute is knowing how to win matches at Premier League level.
Pulis is said to be in advanced talks with Palace's board of directors, and, if successful, he could be in the stands at the very least at Hull City on Saturday.
"He's got experience in the Premier League and he's been successful," Millen said. "He kept Stoke up for several years, and to keep them up for that long, there weren't that many relegation battles they had under him.
"His biggest asset is he knows how to win games in this division. That is probably what's needed.
"I know Tony well. He knows what he wants and he's been successful.
"I can understand him wanting a challenge and I think Crystal Palace would be.
"He signed me as a player for Bristol City, so I knew him then and I've come across him more over the years.
"Tony is clear in his own mind and what he wants from a group of players, and I think if a new manager comes in, you have to assess them quickly and get the best out of them."
As for his own future, Millen thinks if Pulis does get the job, there could be a better chance he is kept on rather than if someone else took over, having worked with the 55-year-old before.
"I'm open to whoever comes in, and sometimes if you know someone, the trust is there straight away," he said.
"Hopefully I will get a chance to sit down with the new manager and the chairman and discuss the future.
"That's all I can ask for and see what develops from that. I know I can manage, but the club needs someone with Premier League experience.
"I haven't got that, but I'm gaining it over the weeks now. I'm not saying I can't manage, I've just been asked what I thought was needed."
And Millen certainly thinks Palace is an attractive proposition for any new manager to come in, despite sitting bottom of the Premier League with just one win and a draw so far.
"I am surprised it's taken this long to get someone in, but I don't think it's a case of people not wanting the job," he said.
"You look at Crystal Palace, yes, we're in a bad position at the moment but it certainly isn't over and it's not doom and gloom.
"The club is financially secure and has four great owners so it's an attractive job. The chairman has got criteria of what he wants, so why should he rush into it?
"It's a compliment to myself, the staff and the players that we're in a decent position, in terms of our last result and performance."
