Crystal Palace Midfielder Wilfried Zaha admits that he felt "worthless" during his Old Trafford stay and believes that he lost his self respect as a footballer sitting in the stands.He was Club's legend Manager Sir Alex Ferguson's last signing for £15 Million.But Ferguson's successor David Moyes didn't did well with Zaha.Zaha failed to make to make his impression as he was not given first team appearances as just making three appearances until he sealed his loan deal to Cardiff.
“There is nothing worse than not being involved,You are sitting there thinking ‘what exactly am I? A footballer who is not playing football?’ You feel a bit worthless sitting in the stands, watching all the time. You have nothing to speak about with the players.If you have played the game then it’s ‘well done’ or ‘you should have passed here or there’. But when you haven’t played, I think people lose a bit of respect for you. I think they are thinking ‘well, he’s not played’. They don’t have anything to speak to you about. It’s a big thing.And I’m frustrated when I am not playing. My family is frustrated. My friends are frustrated.It was difficult when it came to a game at United and they were asking me for tickets and asking ‘are you playing?’ and that used to cut deep because I would think: ‘I can’t just invite my family’ because I had that doubt in my head as to whether I was even going to be in the squad.They would come to United and I would be in the stands. Now I am just able to say ‘here’s tickets. I am starting the game’. I am happy again.I went down there and didn’t play at all.There were reserves who came on and I thought 'I can’t just sit here and not be given a chance’. I had worked so hard to get there and hadn’t been told why I wasn’t playing.Eventually I spoke to [Louis] Van Gaal and he said that right now I wasn’t good enough to get into the first team and I put my hands up and thought ‘no problem, I will go on loan’. I’d rather he told me. Before that it was just rumours and here was a straight answer. I appreciated that and so I came back to Palace.”Zaha told Daily Telegraph.
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