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| Wickham is glad to be able to play with wide men around him at Palace |
The 22-year-old Eagles forward will be the centre of attention at Selhurst Park given that he spent four years at Sunderland before a £7million summer switch to South London.
Once considered one of England's brightest young prospects, Wickham failed to find any consistent form at the Stadium of Light. Despite playing a key role in the club's great escape from Premier League relegation in the spring of 2014, scoring five goals in the final six matches, it was an otherwise unproductive spell as he was sent out on loan three times.
However, should the reception he receive from those in the away end be less than complimentary, Wickham says he won't let that affect his game at all.
"Sunderland are the one team I've looked forward to playing against since I came here," he said. "I'll chat (with friends) before and after the game but there's no friends on the pitch.
"(Being booed) doesn't bother me. From the stands everybody plays a perfect game of football. Nobody makes mistakes from the stands.
"I don't know what the Sunderland fans were expecting. They were quick to judge. I played a position that wasn't my natural position or one that I anticipated playing in.
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| Wickham credits Alan Pardew with reigniting his career after a difficult time at Sunderland |
"They said I never scored and this, that and the other. But I scored when I played as a central striker.
"You have to learn to ignore them. They're not in my mindset anymore."
By Wickham's own admission, "it didn't go to plan at Sunderland". The idea was that he would be the "focal point of the team" but that plan failed to materialise.
He added: "I believed in myself and thought I had managers that believed in me, too. If four years ago I had the manager I've got now, it would have been a different story."
He is, of course, referring to Alan Pardew. Wickham credits the Palace manager for restoring his inner confidence, and as a father figure who could transform him into the player he was expected to become when Sunderland sensationally paid Ipswich Town £8m for his services when he was just 18.
"I'm a million times happier at Palace than at Sunderland," he admits. "I can play down the middle and I've got two natural wide men that will run off me and two who will run behind me. It's up to me - the position is mine to lose now.
"As soon as I was told Palace were interested I was on a train down to London. I was so excited. It's a fresh start. All my friends and family have seen a massive difference in me. In my self-confidence, just in the way I talk and act. I wake up in the morning looking forward to work. I've got my motivation back. If it doesn't go right it's all my fault because I've now got the right manager."
Away from football, Wickham is an ambassador for the Help for Heroes charity. Military service has always been central to his life. His father Stefan spent 25 years in the army as a warrant officer.
"I know what these blokes (soldiers) go through," Wickham said.
"I never thought I'd follow my dad, and neither did my brother, because every time I walked out of the house I either kicked a pebble or a piece of paper. But I completely respect those who serve their country."
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