Wilfried Zaha has struck form once again at Crystal Palace and with the appointment of Alan Pardew as manager, it has only influenced the winger to do even more to impress his new boss who is learning how to get the best out of the on-loan player who played a massive part in the Eagles’ 3-2 win over Southampton on Saturday.
The winger made constant runs towards the Saints’ full-backs during the FA Cup Fourth Round tie at St Mary’s on the weekend, playing a part in the set-up play for all of the goals, helping the players around him to perform to their best with one of the most memorable moves of the game being for Palace’s last goal in which Zaha played a 1-2 with Joel Ward who was running down the right flank before dinking the ball over a number of defenders to find Marouane Chamakh who found the back of the net with his resulting shot.
At 22-years-old, Zaha has grown up at the club after coming through the academy ranks at Crystal Palace and working his way into the first team predominantly George Burley who handed him his first main crack at a season in the Football League in 2010/11 when he scored his first professional goal on the opening day of the season against Leicester City in a 3-2 win.
Joining Manchester United in January 2013, the player was loaned back to Palace for the remainder of the season where he went on to play a role in getting the Eagles promoted to the top flight of English football, a dream come true for the player. It wasn’t a move worthwhile though as after struggling to get into the first team at Old Trafford, the winger moved on-loan to Cardiff City last season before re-joining Crystal Palace on-loan this season.
Happy to be playing regularly in the Premier League is what Zaha needs and with the player now being given the chance to show people what he can do, he is more than aware he needs to take the opportunity whilst he has it .
“I have a smile on my face because I am back on the pitch. I enjoy playing football, so when I am on the pitch I am happy,” he said to the media, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
“It is about having trust in me. This gaffer has put trust in me and I am trying to give it back and performing for the team.”
Zaha has managed to get 267 minutes under new manager Alan Pardew at the moment in the space of four games, managing to create a goal in the process. Under the new boss, this young winger is a changed player and is starting to show greater understanding of his position and executing passes and dribbles to a higher completion rate to what we are used to.
“I said to myself that if I got minutes on the pitch, then I would get better and better,” the 22-year-old said.
“To find a manager that has got trust in me and get me on the pitch. I am going to lose the ball. I will do tricks and lose the ball, but if I get the chance I will either try to score or set up a chance.”
Having grown to the fans once against during another stint at the club, it has been mentioned among fans that the club would be crazy not to sign the young winger once again, not only to aid his development as a player but to also contribute to seasons of future success at Crystal Palace as the club look to maintain their Premier League status.
“I cannot keep that in my head all the time because I could have another move, but Crystal Palace is my home,” on-loan Manchester United winger said.
“When I am here I feel more confident. I have lived in South London all my life and my family is here.”
