Wilfried Zaha's reaction when asked if he was bothered about failing at Manchester United was priceless.
The 30-year-old is set to return to Old Trafford as a Galatasaray player for Tuesday evening’s Champions League encounter, having signed for the Turkish giants this summer upon the expiry of his Crystal Palace deal.
He certainly doesn't seem too concerned about returning to his former club.Zaha could be graced with a first ever Champions League start against a club where he endured an unsuccessful season-and-a-half spell between 2013 and 2015.
The winger was Sir Alex Ferguson’s last ever United signing in January 2013 but had a loan arrangement to return to Palace for the remainder of the 2012-13 campaign, where he helped the Eagles claim an unlikely Premier League promotion.
In turn, by the time Zaha arrived at United, Ferguson had retired and been replaced by David Moyes, who appeared less convinced by the south Londoner’s prodigious talents.
Moyes substituted Zaha after an hour of United’s Community Shield encounter against Wigan Athletic, and the then 20-year-old did not play for the club again for another three months in a Carabao Cup tie against Norwich on October 29.
Zaha went on to make just two Premier League appearances for United totalling 28 minutes on successive weekends that December, before going on an ill-fated loan to Cardiff and ultimately returning to Palace the following summer.The Ivory Coast international went on to become a Palace club legend, while is now getting his first taste of European football with Galatasaray. And he seems undeterred by his failure to make the grade at Old Trafford.
Speaking ahead of Galatasaray’s Champions League encounter against United, Zaha said with a wry smile: “When you look at my face do you think I’m bothered at all? No."
The former Palace winger added: “Realistically I think I went through a period that you either build from or die out from and me personally, I was never going to die out from it.
“It built my character for me to continue my career because I was determined to not let my career die out because I went somewhere where it didn’t work out.
“I was just determined to reach where I wanted to reach and today I’m here.”
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