Wilfried Zaha has opened up about his ill-fated spell with Manchester United.
Zaha was famously Sir Alex Ferguson’s last signing at United before the Scot’s 2013 retirement but the winger failed to live up to his potential at Old Trafford.
In total, Zaha made just four appearances for the Red Devils before he returned to Crystal Palace and he has recently provided some insight into why it didn’t work out for him at United.
“Obviously, getting to United isn’t easy, so not being given a chance is hard to take,” Zaha said in an interview with Shortlist. “I don’t regret anything because it made me stronger. I feel as though I can deal with anything now. I went through so much with United, with England.
“There were rumours that the reason I wasn’t playing [many games] for United was because I slept with [then manager] David Moyes’ daughter, and no one [at the club] attempted to clear that up. So I was fighting my demons by myself, these rumours that I knew weren’t true.
“I was dealing with this at 19; living in Manchester by myself, nowhere near anyone else, because the club had a hold over where I lived.
“They hadn’t given me a car, like every other player [had]. Nothing. I’m living in this hell by myself, away from my family, and I thought, ‘If this doesn’t make me stronger, what will?'”
While Zaha was capped by England in 2012, he has since pledged his international allegiance to the Ivory Coast.
The 25-year-old remains Crystal Palace’s talisman but his time at United so nearly had an irreparable effect on his confidence and happiness as a player.
“When I was at United I had [money], but I was still so down and depressed,” Zaha added.
“People think your life’s different because you’ve got money, you’ve got fame, so they don’t treat you the same.”
