adminWilfried Zaha Opens Up on Manchester United Struggles and Damaging False Rumour
In a recent appearance on the Spiller Productions podcast, Wilfried Zaha spoke candidly about his difficult time at Manchester United and how a false rumour about him being romantically involved with David Moyes’ daughter played a role in his struggles at the club.
Zaha was the final signing made by Sir Alex Ferguson before the legendary manager retired in May 2013. However, under Ferguson’s successor, David Moyes, the Ivorian winger failed to establish himself in the first team.
Despite showing early promise, Zaha was soon loaned out to Crystal Palace and Cardiff City, and he eventually departed Old Trafford in 2015 after making only four senior appearances.
The 32-year-old has previously opened up about the challenges he faced during his time in Manchester. Speaking to Shortlist, he described the experience as “hell,” particularly due to being isolated from his family at a young age.
“I was dealing with this at 19, living alone in Manchester, far from everyone I knew,” Zaha explained. “The club controlled where I lived and didn’t even give me a car like other players.”
“Even though I had money at United, I was depressed. People assume your life is perfect because of the fame and fortune, but that’s not the reality. I felt completely alone.”
Zaha recalled how things took a turn after a promising pre-season tour, when he was suddenly dropped from the squad without explanation.
“Everything was going well, then all of a sudden I was out of the team with no reason given. That’s when the rumour started that I was sleeping with the manager’s daughter,” he said.
“Nobody came to me to ask if it was true. Not even the players. Everyone just moved on — it’s a dog-eat-dog world. If you’re not performing, you’re left behind.”
The former Crystal Palace star, who grew up in South London, said the move to Manchester United was a complete culture shock and made worse by a lack of support.
“I had never left the south before. Then I was at one of the biggest clubs in the world, things weren’t going well, and I had no one to turn to.”
In a separate interview on The Locker Room with former teammate Rio Ferdinand, Zaha spoke further about the emotional toll the rumour took on him.
“No one at the club ever told me anything. I didn’t know what to do. I tweeted something saying ‘silly rumours’ because I had to say something,” he recalled. “Then the club’s media team messaged me saying I shouldn’t have done that. I thought — you haven’t helped me at all.”
Zaha also revealed that he never once spoke to David Moyes about the rumour, which made things even more confusing for him.
“The crazy thing is, no conversation ever happened between us. I kept thinking, ‘Is the manager not going to ask me about this?’ It was ridiculous. And even now, years later, some people still believe it. The truth is — I’ve never even met his daughter.”
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