When Crystal Palace Played A Right Back Up Front And He Scored A Perfect Hat-Trick In Six Minutes

Former Crystal Palace right back Danny Butterfield once started as a centre forward in the FA Cup and he managed to score a hat-trick.

The Eagles took on Wolves in a fourth round replay back in 2010 and manager Neil Warnock had just lost young forward Victor Moses on transfer deadline day.

It means a rotated squad had Butterfield up front and after a goalless first half, he found the net in the 62nd minute.

Wayne Hennessey saved a Matt Lawrence header and Butterfield pounced on the rebound to get his first.

Three minutes later and he'd doubled Palace's lead. Butterfield had drifted into the box and managed to slot past Hennessey.

Another three minutes went by and in the 68th minute, a knockdown saw Butterfield calmly finish a half volley as Selhurst Park erupted.

Palace won the game 3-1 and Butterfield broke the record for Palace's fastest-ever hat trick by five minutes.

Warnock revealed after the game that Nathaniel Clyne had turned down a transfer to Wolves days earlier and if it went through, Butterfield would've been in at right back.

When asked about how the idea came to be, Butterfield told Palace's official website: "In a training session with Neil Warnock, "typical five-a-side - I played up front with Alan Lee and Neil, being Neil, said: 'We'll go with that tomorrow.' And we did."

You couldn't make it up. Butterfield recalled the incident last year in a chat with The Athletic and surprisingly played the incident down.

"It's not me," the 41-year-old begun. "It's probably what I'll get remembered for in my career but I would sooner be remembered for sticking the ball on Neil Shipperley's head from 50 yards and him nodding down for Andy Johnson to tap in, or me clearing off the line at Anfield, or blocking a cross, or making a tackle in front of the Holmesdale.

"On the footage you see during the game I'm laughing and joking with Shaun Derry and Clint Hill. That [the hat-trick] was unrealistic, it's not what I do. It was fun.

"Because of my connection with the club and my longevity there, although it was a special night for me, it was for the fans to celebrate - a moment I'm not normally associated with."