Wilfried Zaha paused and rubbed his left eye five times as he pondered the question that hung in the air: does it bother him that it never worked out at Manchester United?
Putting pen to paper on a five-and-a-half-year deal back in January 2013, Zaha would go on to be Sir Alex Ferguson‘s final signing.
What was supposed to be a welcome present to his successor, David Moyes, turned into something of an unwanted possession for his fellow Scot, and later Louis van Gaal. They soon cut their losses.
Zaha would go on to win just 167 minutes of action as a Manchester United player before a loan spell at Cardiff City preceded his eventual return to Crystal Palace.
He’s been back to Old Trafford since – and scored there as an opposing player – and has faced similar questions of added motivation, a chip on the shoulder and points he may want to prove to people.
Wilfried Zaha was Sir Alex Ferguson’s final signing as Manchester United manager in January 2013 – but the winger was left unloved and unwanted by David Moyes and Louis van Gaal
Zaha played just 167 minutes over four matches for United during a disappointing time there
Zaha certainly didn’t express any regrets at how his time with United turned out as he prepares to face them with Galatasaray on Tuesday night
And yet here at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, with just a handful of British journalists in the room, Zaha, who speaks so passionately and with such a clear sense of pre-thought, had no point, no incentive, no chip on the shoulder.
To use his own word, he couldn’t be less ‘bothered’ about failing at Manchester United.
‘Manchester United, I played for them before, a long time ago,’ he said.
‘Ten years on, I’m 30 years old and I feel like I’ve matured in my game.
‘I’m at a big club in Galatasaray. We have a lot of talent we have a lot of experience and I think we’re ready. We have players who can hurt them. Me personally, I’m looking forward to the game.’
So, for the record, you’re definitely not bothered that your £10million move proved to be a disaster?
‘I’ll be honest, when you look at my face, do you think I’m bothered?’ Zaha said, akin to a sketch from comedian Catherine Tate.
‘Realistically, I think I went through a phase where you either build from it or you die out from it and me personally I was never going to die out from it.
Zaha successfully rebuilt his career post-United back at Crystal Palace, scoring 72 goals
He got off the mark for Galatasaray on Saturday in a 2-1 victory over MKE Ankaragucu
‘So, it built my character for me to just continue my career because I was determined to not let my career die out just because I went somewhere and it didn’t work out. I was just determined to reach where I wanted to reach and yeah, I’m here today.’
One thing to say is it did not appear to be bravado, a false portrayal of any kind. Zaha’s words smacked of a man that has long made peace with how a dream move unravelled into a nightmare.
When a 20-year-old Zaha toured Carrington and put pen-to-paper on his United deal, following fruitful conversations with Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton, he would not then have believed it would take 10 years to experience Champions League football at Old Trafford.
The fact it comes as a member of the opposition is by the by. Zaha is eager to look forward, not back. As far as he is concerned, the Manchester United chapter was written to a close long ago.
Zaha is back at Old Trafford a different player to the one that was left isolated by Moyes and Van Gaal. Rio Ferdinand previously said the player was ‘mishandled’ and others have intimated similar, that more needed to be done to help nurture him to the way of life at a club the size of United.
Not only was he not playing, Zaha was contending with false allegations that he was being left out by Moyes because he was dating his daughter Lauren. Zaha frequently went public denying ever meeting Lauren, only adding fuel to media reports.
Zaha was left frozen out by David Moyes during the Scot’s turbulent time in charge at United
With opportunities few and far between, Zaha was loaned out and then returned to Palace
Then it was Van Gaal. He soon saw enough in training to write him off, eventually getting him to train away from the main group.
The Dutchman after one session in particular told him to find a new club. He was not longer wanted around Manchester United.
And so a loan move to his former club Crystal Palace followed. From there Zaha made a permanent return to the Eagles in 2015 and went on to score 68 goals in 291 Premier League games across that second spell.
Zaha feels the love from the Galatasaray fans after scoring at the weekend
Didier Drogba has it right in that for Zaha to succeed he needs to feel loved. Maybe that is too simplistic but the player himself was quick to agree with his idol’s character evaluation.
‘That is very true,’ he said. ‘I am a player who plays with his heart on his sleeves. I reciprocate the love I get.
‘As soon as I step on my pitch, I want to express myself even more.’
Turkish journalists spoke of Zaha’s slow adaptation on the pitch since arriving in Turkey.
Scoring his first goal at the weekend against MKE Ankaragücü will help, but even in spite of his indifferent start, those in attendance laughed at every deadpan remark and beamed smiles when he looked in their direction.
A pair of Turkish YouTubers in the room even scurried after him for selfies when all was said and done. Feeling the love? Just a bit.
Zaha arrives happy, ‘feeling good’ and free from the pressures many may expect him to feel back on familiar ground.
Even concerns over his team-mates and how they will handle playing at Old Trafford got a near snort of derision from the Ivorian.
‘Galatasaray games are the loudest things you will ever hear!
‘It is not about Man United, it is about what we can do to hurt them. That is what we are focused on.’
Zaha can hurt Manchester United, unquestionably. No doubt he had one eye on Palace’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford just a matter of days ago, watching a patched up United back four get squeezed into mistakes, especially with Sofyan Amrabat down the left side.
Zaha scored at Old Trafford when Palace won 3-1 there during the 2020-21 season
Along with Mauro Icardi, Zaha will form part of an attack salivating at the prospect of playing a United side wounded from their worst start to a season in 34 years.
There is a nervousness hanging in the air around Old Trafford that after losing their group opener to Bayern Munich, this already feels like a must-not-lose.
Erik ten Hag even chose to namecheck Zaha in his press conference. The talents of the former United and Palace winger are far from lost on the Dutchman.
Is Zaha bothered about having the chance to come back to haunt them and kick United when they are down? Probably not. But he’d be lying if he said it wouldn’t taste sweet to be the man of the hour tonight.
