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UCL: Zaha called Man United spell ‘hell’, Ferguson ‘never spoke to him’

Wilfred Zaha signed for the Turkish champions this summer, leaving boyhood club Crystal Palace and bringing an end to his 11 years at the club that was split across two spells.

In between those two spells of being adored by the Selhurst Park faithful was two years at Man United.

This year marks 10 years since the Ivory Coast-born star made his £10m move to Old Trafford in the season the Red Devils won their last Premier League title.

Zaha, who had been tearing it up in the Championship with Palace in the first half of the 2012/13 season, had caught the eye of Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson, the son of Man United’s legendary boss, Sir Alex Ferguson.

It wasn’t long before Palace had agreed to sell their superstar winger, who was just 20 at the time, to the Red Devils, with Zaha returning on loan for the rest of the season to help the Eagles win promotion to the Premier League.

But the buzz of promotion and a big move to Man United soon wore off for Zaha, who had no idea Ferguson, the man who wanted him, was leaving his new club that summer.

Zaha’s future Palace boss Neil Warnock told talkSPORT Breakfast last year: “I signed him [back] when I went to Crystal Palace. He’s always loved there. I would have liked to see him go to another top club.

“When he came back to me when I re-signed him. I remember talking to him in the chairman’s office.

But the following season didn’t go as planned for him
“I said to him, ‘Did you get on alright with Sir Alex?’ He said, ‘He never spoke to me once’.

“He was only a young lad and went there and didn’t get a lot of help.”

The arrival of David Moyes spelt trouble for Zaha, too.

With minimal game time and having to live alone in Manchester, the former England youth international has since explained just how tough it was for him, even describing his situation as ‘hell’.

Speaking to Shortlist, he said: “Obviously, getting to United isn’t easy, so not being given a chance is hard to take. 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 [many games] for United was because I slept with [then manager] David Moyes’ daughter, and no one [at the club] 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 [had]. 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?”

Zaha was played in pre-seasons, but barely played any competitive minutes for Man United
Zaha says he was never given a chance by Ferguson’s successors

“I explain this to my friends all the time,” he continued. ” 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.”

Former Man United defender and Zaha’s ex-teammate Rio Ferdinand has also revealed since that he felt he should’ve done more and put an arm round the new arrival.

Despite wanting to return to Palace on loan, Moyes shipped Zaha to ex-Man United star Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Cardiff. But Zaha’s career didn’t improve there, either, with him recording just one assist as the Bluebirds went down bottom of the league.

By the time he returned, Moyes had been replaced by Louis van Gaal, who, after telling Zaha he would have to adapt to play as a centre forward to keep his hopes of getting in the team alive, eventually informed Zaha that he should find another club.

“I was so relieved,” Zaha told the OnTheJudy podcast in 2020. “I was thinking, ‘Thank you for telling me straight and letting me restart my career’.”

In total, the Palace legend made just four appearances for Man United, scoring no goals and registering no assists in that time.

However, his return to Palace, first on loan and then permanently, saw his career come back to life. In total, he recorded a whopping 90 goals and 76 assists in 458 appearances for his boyhood team and is very much seen as one of the club’s greatest ever players.

He’s been back to Man United 15 times since, winning four of the clashes against them. However, he insists he holds no grudges over the club, despite the struggles he faced there.

Palace more than cemented his status as a Palace legend on his return

“Obviously Manchester United’s a team that I was at before, I played for them before a long, long time ago,” Zaha said at Old Trafford. “Ten years forward, I’m 30 years old. I feel like I’ve matured in my game, I am at a big club, Galatasaray.

“I think with the help of the manager or the team we have, we have a lot of talent, a lot of experience, so, yeah, I think we’re ready for the game tomorrow.

“Obviously they’ve got a good team but at the same time we’ve got players who can hurt them as well, so me personally I’m looking forward to the game.”

Asked if what happened to him at United bothers him, Zaha said: “I’ll be honest, when you look at my face do you think I am bothered at all? No.

“Realistically I think I went through a phase where you either build from it or you die out from it. And me personally, I was never going to die out from it.

“It built my character for me to just continue my career because I was determined to not let my career die out because I went somewhere and it didn’t work out. I was just determined to reach where I wanted to reach and I am here today.”

Zaha opened his account for Galatasaray over the weekend, scoring in the 2-1 win over Ankaragucu. His goal was the epitome of what Sir Alex was likely to have been sold by all those years ago when he made Zaha his last ever signing.

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He Gives Us Energy: William Saliba Hails Mastermind Behind Arsenal’s Defensive Dominance

William Saliba and Gabriel Heinze during Arsenal training session

Arsenal’s defensive dominance in the Premier League has a new driving force behind it, according to William Saliba. The French centre-back has hailed Gabriel Heinze, Mikel Arteta’s new first-team coach, as the mastermind behind the Gunners’ impressive backline.

Since joining Arteta’s staff in July, Heinze has brought his trademark intensity and energy to Arsenal’s training ground, helping a side that has conceded just seven goals in 14 Premier League matches — the best defensive record in the division.

Heinze’s Influence On The Gunners

Speaking to the Men in Blazers Media Network, Saliba described Heinze as a constant presence around the defenders:

“Gabriel Heinze helps a lot, especially the defenders. He gives us energy because he’s always talking, always loud — even in training when we do simple things, he’s always loud. Even for nothing, he will be loud! He talks a lot and it’s good to have him close to us. I think this guy can help us a lot.”

Saliba’s comments paint a vivid picture of Heinze as a demanding coach, whose booming voice and relentless standards lift the entire defensive unit.

Arteta added context to Heinze’s appointment, noting their long-standing friendship and mutual trust:

“He’s a winner. He’s won in many clubs he’s been at. We’ve known each other for 23 years, I’m very close to that. It brings something extra.”

He praised Heinze’s tactical insight and complementary personality:

“We complement each other really well, and everybody brings a different insight, a different character, a different personality, to the table that makes us a much better team.”

A Winning Pedigree

Heinze’s coaching approach is rooted in a winning playing career. From PSG to Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Marseille, the former defender was known for hard tackling and relentless duels. Since retiring in 2014, he’s built a coaching résumé across South America and the U.S., including stints at Godoy Cruz, Argentinos Juniors, Velez Sarsfield, Atlanta United, and Newell’s Old Boys.

Testing Defensive Resilience

Heinze’s influence comes at a time when Arsenal’s defense has been hit by injuries. Key centre-backs Saliba and Gabriel have been sidelined, forcing Arteta to deploy makeshift partnerships like Mosquera, Piero Hincapie, and Jurrien Timber. Despite the reshuffling, Arsenal still secured a 2-0 victory over Brentford, proving the defensive organisation and resilience Heinze has instilled.

Arteta commented on the injury situation:

“He (Saliba) had a little niggle, so I think it’s going to be a matter of days. Big Gabi is doing very well as well, but that’s weeks as well.”

With Heinze bringing energy, intensity, and tactical sharpness, Arsenal’s defensive stability continues to impress, even amid injury crises — a testament to the Argentine coach’s impact on the Premier League leaders.

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Arne Slot Confirms Mohamed Salah Is ‘Always In My Mind’ Amid Liverpool Absence

Mohamed Salah sitting on Liverpool bench during Premier League match

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has addressed the speculation surrounding Mohamed Salah, admitting that the Egypt forward is “always in my mind” despite being left out of the last two starting line-ups.

Salah, 33, has had a slow start to the Premier League season, scoring just four goals, and has played only 45 minutes across the last two games. The forward’s omission from the starting XI has sparked talk of a potential Saudi Pro League move, though Salah recently signed a two-year contract extension with Liverpool in April.

Slot Explains Salah Situation

“I think for every player in my mind can start and Mo is an exceptional player for us,” Slot said. “He is always in my mind to either start or to come off the bench.”

Salah played a starring role last season, scoring 29 goals as Liverpool lifted the Premier League in Slot’s first campaign. However, he was an unused substitute in Liverpool’s 2-1 win at West Ham and again came off the bench in the 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland.

Slot acknowledged the chatter around Salah’s absence, saying:

“The chatter, yes because he deserves that, he has been so influential for me and six or seven years. It’s completely normal people talk about it when he isn’t playing.”

Van Dijk Weighs In

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also commented, highlighting that no player at the club has “unlimited credit”:

“He is still a fantastic player and we still have to remember there is a reason why he has been so successful at the club and we have to respect that. I need him around as one of the leaders. He’s disappointed but that’s absolutely normal. It’s always been the case that no one is undroppable.”

This statement underscores the high standards at Liverpool, even for one of their most prolific stars.

Liverpool’s Current Form

The Reds are currently ninth in the Premier League, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal, having won just two of their nine league games. Salah’s presence will be crucial as Liverpool look to regain momentum, with their next game set against Leeds United.

While fans debate Salah’s place in the squad, both Slot and Van Dijk emphasize that he remains central to Liverpool’s ambitions, both on the pitch and in the dressing room.

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Roy Keane Blasts ‘Frightened’ Manchester United After West Ham Draw

Roy Keane reacting angrily during a football analysis session

Manchester United thought they had the job wrapped up at Old Trafford… until they didn’t.

Diogo Dalot’s tidy finish just before the hour mark looked like the moment that would push the Red Devils to a much-needed victory. But in classic 2025 Manchester United fashion, control slipped, intensity dipped, and West Ham pounced.

And of course—when things go wrong—Roy Keane is never far from the verbal action.

“They Weren’t Nasty Enough!” – Keane Fires Shots

After the 1-1 draw, Keane wasted zero time calling out what he sees as the real issue at United: timidity.

According to him, United “took their foot off the gas” right after scoring. Against a team in the bottom three, he expected more authority, more aggression, and definitely more hunger.

Instead, what he saw was a team “almost frightened” of finishing the job.

He slammed the players for hiding when pressure kicked in, criticized their lack of killer instinct, and even called out the relaxed body language during substitutions.

In typical Keane fashion, the message was simple:
United should never be this soft.

Amorim Also Frustrated: “The Game Was Ours To Win”

Manager Ruben Amorim didn’t sugarcoat anything either.

While he didn’t go full-Keane, he admitted:

United lost control after scoring
They failed to win second balls
They should have killed the match earlier
The inconsistency is becoming a real problem

For a team chasing European places, three draws in five games simply isn’t good enough.

West Ham Deserved Their Point

To be fair, West Ham didn’t just sit back and wait. They fought, pressed, countered, and eventually got their reward when Soungoutou Magassa slotted home the 83rd-minute equaliser.

United had late chances, but the story of their season resurfaced again:
moments created, moments wasted.

Where Do United Go From Here?

Sitting eighth on the table, United’s inconsistency continues to be their biggest opponent. Keane believes the team lacks bite. Amorim believes the team lacks control.

Fans believe the team lacks… well, everything except drama.

What’s clear is this: until United find their identity and intensity, nights like this will keep happening.