Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira admits former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is always available for advice.

Vieira has revealed the challenges of moving from a playing career into management, as he explained why Palace was the perfect club for him to make his mark in the Premier League.

“The difficulty when deciding to go into management is: when you are a player, you are an individual," he said. "You think about yourself first: how you can prepare yourself to perform at the weekend.

“When you go into a job as manager, you think about yourself last. You think about the players, the training, the tactics, and then you start to think about yourself. The transition was challenging for those first couple of months.

“After that, it is about accepting the fact that I wasn't playing anymore. That's why having those experiences with Manchester City Under-21s, New York City and Nice allowed me to really understand that I don't exist anymore – I am a manager.

“It's all about the players. It allowed me to be clear in my mind today."

Although Vieira the player could call on Wenger for guidance during their time together at Arsenal, Vieira the manager can still lean on his former mentor for advice.

“I speak with Arsene – we keep in touch," Vieira revealed. “He calls me and asks me how things are going. I call him and ask him one or two things about himself.

“He is obviously someone I can take a phone and call and speak with. I think he has this experience that can open my eyes and guide me to make the right decisions.

“It is important to have someone to talk with and to exchange [ideas], and for me that somebody is Arsene."