Crystal Palace winger says lack of playing time & rumours about his conduct off the pitch mentally affected him during United tenure
Friday 21 September 2018 07:43, UK
Wilfried Zaha has opened up about his "hell" at Manchester United and said his time at Old Trafford made him "down and depressed".
The winger signed for Manchester United as a teenager after playing a big part in Crystal Palace's promotion back to the Premier League in 2013.
But he failed to make an impact under David Moyes and says the switch led to his toughest spell in football amid a whispering campaign about his life off the pitch.
"Obviously, getting to United isn't easy, so not being given a chance is hard to take," he told The Sun.
"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 for United was because I slept with David Moyes's daughter, and no one 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. 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?'
"When I was at United I had money, but I was still so down and depressed. People think your life's different because you've got money, you've got fame, so they don't treat you the same.
"I don't regret anything because it made me stronger. I feel as though I can deal with anything now."
Zaha opted to play internationally for the Ivory Coast, despite the attentions of current Palace manager and then-England boss Roy Hodgson.
"The Ivory Coast had been begging for ages. The country and the fans love me already, and I haven't even done anything," he said.
"I may not get the red carpet, it may not have the same Nike deals as when you play for England, but I'm going to be playing, I'm going to be loved, and that's all I want. Nothing else.
"So when I watched the World Cup I was annoyed because we could have been there."
