He and his business partner opened the restaurant venture late last year. “It is a mixture of Italian and Spanish, because of our background,” he explains. At first he was not comfortable about using his name again, but there it is above the door: Speroni.
“The head chef is from Argentina so she is the one that organises the menus,” he explains. “But it is more Mediterranean with an Argentinian touch.”
Some inspiration is drawn from Visocchi’s, the Italian ice cream café in Broughty Ferry where Dundee’s sizeable group of foreign players used to congregate in the early 2000s; it was not unusual to drop by and spy Claudio Cannigia elegantly draped across a chair, cigarette in hand.
Other than the name, there is no link between the new restaurant and Speroni’s at Selhurst Park. “I am not running that one,” he smiles. “That was a few years back. I was in Argentina on holiday and they emailed me to say they were planning to open this place at Selhurst and they wanted to name it after me. I emailed back and said: are you sure? It can’t be true. They asked me if I was happy and I said of course, it is an honour for me that you think of me when you open this restaurant.
“I never thought I would be here this long,” he continues. “It is not normal for a footballer. It is not a common. I didn’t plan it this way, of course. I just got on with my job. But things turned out this way.
“And I am very pleased that they did.”
Aphorisms line the bare-brick walls. ‘Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference’. Another asks: ‘Did you leave it all on the field today?’ These are heavy considerations as you ponder whether to opt for the risotto or the chicken Speroni (a take on his mother’s recipe). Other than this, the place is understated. The decoration consists of line drawings rather than photographs although there is one photo; one which clearly seeks to highlight the existential existence of the goalkeeper. It is an artistic effort showing Speroni standing alone in his penalty area, with play at the other end of the pitch.
If ever there has been a goalkeeper who would seem to disprove the theory that goalkeepers must be slightly distant, perhaps even dislikeable figures, it is Speroni. He remains much loved at Dundee, as well as highly regarded, while his bond with Palace is stronger still. Unusually, however, there is reason for some angst in Speroni as he surveys the frothy latte that has been just been put in front of him. Heavily touted for a first call-up to the Argentina squad for their next friendly against Romania, he heard the news on Thursday that he has been left out, with time now growing short if he wishes to be included in the squad for this summer’s World Cup. But perhaps greater cause for unease is the uncertainty about where his club future lies. He is nearing the end of his current contract. Indeed, as of the start of this year, the 34-year-old has been free to negotiate with other clubs. This is news Palace fans will find extremely difficult to digest. Could this love affair with Palace be coming to an end?