Players will not “down tools” if the season runs beyond their contract according to Crystal Palace goalkeeping coach Dean Kiely.

With the current Premier League and English Football League season expected to run well beyond its scheduled end date in May due to the coronavirus halting proceedings, many clubs will find themselves with players whose contracts will have ceased while the seson is still on-going.

The former Charlton, Portsmouth and West Brom shot stopper and now Palace coach, however, urged players to see out the current season with their relevant clubs and warned of the effects if they were to show a lack of commitment.

“If I was in a situation whereby my contract was finishing on June 30 and the season’s continued, I wouldn’t down tools because I’m out of contract,” the 49-year-old told LoveSport Radio.

“I would like to think it’s because the level we are playing at, and it goes for the majority of professional sport.

“I do 100% understand from a legal contract point of view there’ll be issues, but if you’re a player, you want to see that season through, especially if it’s going well or if you’re helping a team survive, you’ll want to hang around and help.”

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Kiely, who played over 650 games for eight clubs during his 21-year career went on to say that any player who did fail to see out the season would run the risk of jeopardising any further move.

“Football is a bit of a village in that respect,” Kiely added.

“If you get labelled as a bad egg, a non-tryer, that news travels fast.

“Agents tell you they sort the deals, it’s not entirely true.

“The first thing a coach, a manager, officials do when they’re looking at a player is they will ring me, as a coach, for a lowdown on what the payer is like, his strengths, weaknesses, what’s he like as a fella.

“They’ll be right to do due diligence, not from contacting the agent but from the previous club he’s been at.

“So if someone did down tools because they’re not under contract, that would be a black mark against him and tarnish his reputation a bit.”

Scott Dann and Steven Henderson are the only two players on the Eagles’ books whose contracts expire at the end of June.