Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward has paid tribute to Roy Hodgson after their 1-1 draw at Everton.

Hodgson stepped down as manager before kickoff, with Oliver Glasner taking charge.

“I think tonight sets the tone: that performance, that resilience, the character from every single player that played a part on the pitch and off the pitch," Ward told Palace's website of the game. “We've got big characters that come around the lads and make sure everyone is together moving in the right direction.

“Obviously with the new gaffer coming in, I'm sure he's going to want to see things and put things in place. We're ready to hit the ground running.

“We know what we need to do, we know how we need to execute things and we are fully behind whatever decisions are made."

Ward continued: “There's a lot of noise that goes on around clubs throughout the season, but for us we can only control the controllables. We can only focus on what we are doing on the training pitch.

“That has been our main priority. That has been our focus from day one, that we can only concentrate on what we can concentrate on.

“Everything else we leave to the hierarchy, and we leave it to the media to speculate this and that. But as a changing room, as a club, we come around each other and stick together."

Ward also paid tribute to Hodgson.

“Obviously we owe so much to Roy," said Ward. “I think he's an integral part of this club's history. What we have achieved with him at the helm, I think it was a pretty special, the first period and the second period.

“We send our well wishes to him and wish him all the best in whatever endeavours he decides to take on from now on."