Crystal Palace's Clint Hill has revealed he only went in goal against Southampton on Monday because nobody else wanted to do it - despite not really practicing the position.

The Eagles' stand-in captain donned the keeper's jersey for 10 minutes when Julian Speroni had to go off for stitches to a gash on his face and even pulled off a superb save from eventual match-winner David McGoldrick.

"The gaffer was asking around and he asked a few of the lads but they didn't really want to do it," he said after the game.

"So I said alright then I will step up to the mantle and thought sod it, I will see what I can do.

"I've never played in goal before, maybe in youth team once but never in a stadium or anything like that so it was quite daunting to say the least.

"I wouldn't say we have practiced.

"Me, Shaun Derry and Ben Watson when he was here used to have a little mess about in goal and take shots at each other but it was never serious and you never want it to come up to be honest.

"Derry would probably usually do it, I think he would fancy it."

Of his save from McGoldrick he said: "I just charged out and luckily enough it hit my toe and went out for a corner. It was a good experience but overall a disappointing result really."

Hill, who has now played 45 games this season, more than in any other during his career, also revealed the black armband he sported against Cardiff and Southampton was his own personal tribute to mark the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

He said: "I have friends and family from Liverpool and I lived there and support Liverpool as a club.

"If you are part of that family you are affected by it so I just wanted to show my respects in my own way and that's why I wore it, as a remembrance of the sad day when that happened."

Crystal Palace's remaining fixtures: Apr 18 Derby County (h), 25 Doncaster Rovers (a), May 3 Sheffield United (h).