Iain Dowie has left Coca-Cola Championship outfit Crystal Palace by mutual consent.

The former Northern Ireland international, 41, took over at Selhurst Park in December 2003 and steered the Eagles into the Premiership following victory over West Ham in the Championship play-off final.

Their stay in the top flight was a brief one, however, as they were relegated the following season and were this year beaten in the play-off semi-finals by Watford, who yesterday booked their return ticket to the Premiership.

Dowie has been touted as a possible successor to Alan Curbishley and Steve McClaren at Charlton and Middlesbrough respectively while Ipswich have also been alerted.

Meanwhile, Palace have turned down an £8million offer for striker Andy Johnson. The England international, on standby for the World Cup, has been the subject of offers from Bolton, Wigan and Everton.

Palace revealed how one of those offers was £8million, but that it did not match the club's valuation of the 25-year-old.

Johnson scored 15 league goals in the Coca-Cola Championship last season, after hitting 21 in the 2004-05 Barclays Premiership campaign and 28 in the previous promotion campaign.