FA Cup: Alan Pardew admits he REGRETS his infamous final dance during Crystal Palace defeat

Alan Pardew has confessed that he regrets his infamous 'dad dance' during Crystal Palace's 2016 FA Cup Final defeat.

After substitute Jason Puncheon put the Eagles 1-0 up against Manchester United in 78th minute, the former manager's first instinct was to turn out to the nearest camera and throw his best shapes in celebration.

It should have gone down as iconic FA Cup-crowning moment but, embarrassingly, it proved to be premature as Juan Mata equalised just two minutes later for United before Jesse Lingard won it for the Red Devils in extra-time.

Speaking about Palace's journey to Wembley in the latest edition of FourFourTwo magazine, Pardew said: 'That run to the cup final was fantastic. But then I had to make the awful decision to put Jason Puncheon on the bench.

'He was so disappointed, but I don't think he realised I was too. I love him as a person, but we wanted to counteract something in Manchester United's team.

'I said, like all managers would, 'You'll come on – go and show me when you get on.' When he put us 1-0 up, that was the moment.'

When pressed on the moment everyone wants to know about, Pardew admitted it was a spontaneous reaction and admitted people he speaks to still don't seem to forget it.

'I regret the dance,' he added. 'My daughter had said, 'There's this new dance', and that must have been in my head!

'I should never have done it – people remember it, unfortunately – but it was a brilliant moment for Punch, and I'd felt for him.'

That showpiece was only Palace's second ever final appearance, with their other also a defeat by Manchester United in 1990, when Pardew was an Eagles player.

Much like in 2016, Palace failed to Step Up.