At just twenty years of age, Wilfried Zaha is known as one of the hottest prospects in the English game. Snapped up by Manchester United in January 2013, he has now gone on to help Palace reach the play-off finals. Spoken highly by many respected footballers across the globe, it is easy to say this boy has talent. With his time at Palace coming to an end, Zaha will have the massive task trying to impress the new Manchester United manager.
The future looks bright for Zaha, and he has everything to make it at Manchester United like his pace and skills. One of his many talents includes the great ability to beat defenders and create a chance to score out of nothing, something United are lacking at the moment. Playing 45 games this season for Palace, he has been the key to the success they are having. Coming into the world famous Manchester United will be hard for any young twenty year-old, but Zaha doesn’t lack confidence. Turning down his boyhood club (Arsenal), it is clear this boy is a born winner. Named in the Championship team of the year 2012/13, the young talent is never questioned.
Arriving at Old Trafford, he will face tough competition for a place in the squad. Players like Nani, Young, Valencia, and Welbeck, who can also play out wide, all have something to prove under the new boss. Watching him play clearly shows he has everything to be a Manchester United legend, just like Ronaldo had all the skills and pace to be a world beater. It’s choosing when to beat the man or when to give the square ball and keep possession. We all watched Ronaldo progress into a world beater at United, Zaha has it all to equal that.
Watching him at Palace, Zaha can run into dead end and not pick the easy ball when it’s on. Defensively, he can find it hard tracking back as many wingers do, which is an aspect of his game I’m sure United will drill into him. Developing the mental side of the game will come with experience, as he is only twenty and he has time to learn off the more experienced players around him. This season, he has always been the stand out player on the pitch; there is always a buzz around the ground when he has possession of the ball. Zaha is always expected to pull something out the bag, which is massive pressure on such a young footballer but he has dealt with it well.
The future of the boy is clear: keep focused and keep learning and he will fit into the United team without a problem. Moyes has a massive English talent on his hands and I believe he will manage him very well. This season he will be hard for Zaha, moving into a club with world class players, and he will be a little fish in a very big pond. But managing him will be the key, giving him the starts in the cup games to gain the experience. I believe he will start with a bang, and be sure to watch out for this boy.
Written by Sam Duffy