West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce believes Keith Millen deserves a chance at Crystal Palace.
Writing in the London Evening Standard, Allardyce declared: "It remains an opportunity for Keith, though. I was caretaker manager at Preston for about three months. My old mate Les Chapman was manager but he found it difficult and the board made a change.
"I was youth coach at the time, reserve team manager, groundsman, physio, painter, bottle-washer, you name it, I did it.
"I was happy to step in at the time and help guide Preston out of the danger zone. I was really disappointed when they didn't give me the job, particularly having been a player there plus the relationship I had with the board but they appointed John Beck and Gary Peters.
"I went back to youth team coach and had to be patient - wait for my opportunity. In the end, I went to Blackpool. I might have been 14th choice at the time but I got there in the end.
"It's not often, at the top level, that the caretaker manager is promoted to manager. It's happened at Swansea, with Garry Monk, and Chris Hughton made the transition as well. They will have both discovered that you need a completely different set of skills if you progress from coach to manager."
