London – Wilfried Zaha has a chance this week to prove that Sir Alex Ferguson was right to pay Crystal Palace £15million to sign him in January.
The Manchester United winger, who remains on loan at Selhurst Park, prepares for Palace’s Championship play-off semi-final first leg at home to Brighton on Friday knowing that his form and lifestyle are under scrutiny.
After indifferent performances in recent months the 20-year-old needs to regain his touch to dispel fears that he has lost his way after blistering form earlier in the season led to an international call-up.
As well as problems on the field, he is in the spotlight after claims his brother Herve is a member of a south London gang and that he is already splashing out thanks to the £35,000 a week he is now receiving from United.
In his exit interview in the Palace programme before their game against Peterborough last Saturday, he recognised the challenge of the life he faces at Old Trafford.
“I just wanted to keep my head down when everyone was talking about the speculation,” he admitted.
“I’ll probably be starstruck but it will be great to be in and around the squad and learn from them.
“I watched the game against Aston Villa when they clinched the title and Robin van Persie is just amazing. Knowing that I am going to be playing alongside players like that is just crazy.”
Some of Zaha’s brothers – he has eight siblings – were seen in Cheshire on Monday looking at huge houses for him to live in when he moves to United.
Several new cars have arrived since his salary was more than trebled by United and he moved out of his flat near the Palace training ground to live in rented accommodation.
Zaha was named Championship player of the year by his fellow professionals at the recent PFA awards, but has suspended his Twitter account after being abused by supporters of other clubs.
Before Christmas he was unquestionably the best player in the division and his electrifying runs from either wing took Palace to the top of the table.
In a the space of a few months he became a first-team regular and then an international, making his England debut in November for a four-minute spell in the 4-2 defeat against Sweden. Two months later he was on his way to United for £15m.
The game that sealed his move was also in November when he set up two goals in a minute in a match-winning performance at Peterborough.
That night Peterborough’s manager Darren Ferguson called his father Sir Alex and said he had to sign the forward. Now Zaha has to live up to the expectation. – Daily Mail