JULIAN Speroni may be a dab hand at keeping clean sheets for Crystal Palace but he is hoping customers at his new restaurant in Purley will leave behind clean plates.
The Palace shot-stopper, 34, opened Speroni, on Russell Hill Road, in late December with his fellow Argentinian Cristian Barrionuevo.
The Mediterranean restaurant serves food influenced by Italian, Argentinian and Spanish cuisines and is something Speroni has been thinking about for a long time.
He said: "My family is Italian and my wife's family is Spanish so we wanted to make fusion of that. I also wanted to make it feel like when I am eating out at home.
"I was looking for a place and this came up. But everything had to be perfect, we wanted to make sure the menu was perfect and that every dish was perfect."
Food was a very important part of the Eagles custodian's upbringing and he has already had the seal of approval from the most important person – his mum Noemi.
"My mum visited just after we opened and she was very happy. There is a chicken dish on the menu which is actually her recipe and one of my favourites.
"But we built the menu around my taste so I like everything."
And this particular part of Purley is turning into a Little Argentina, as his business partner Cristian also owns the Buenos Aires steakhouse next door.
Dishes on the menu include the Speroni Fillet and the Chicken Speroni, while Palace fans may enjoy some of the Palace-themed artwork on the walls.
Speroni's team-mates also seem to be enjoying the cuisine and Speroni said a trip to his restaurant is becoming something of a good luck charm.
"Paddy (McCarthy) came here and so did (Aaron) Wilbraham," Speroni said.
"Paddy came here and soon after he came back into the team. Wilbs came here and scored a goal after that so I think people have to come more often! A lot of people at the club have congratulated me.
"A lot of the fans have already come and given some great feedback. We have had a lot of repeat customers already which is great."
But although his business sideline seems to be taking off nicely, Speroni, who is due for a testimonial at the end of the season, said he has no plans to take his focus off football.
He said: "We are seeing how this goes and we are already thinking about the next step. Who knows, maybe we will open more.
"But I have a lot of good years left in me. This season I have felt better than ever and fitter than ever. I feel like I can play forever, for at least three or four more years. I have never had any major injuries luckily and I am really enjoying it."
