Wilfried Zaha facts for kids
Zaha playing for Crystal Palace in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dazet Wilfried Armel Zaha | ||
| Date of birth | 10 November 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 6 feet 0 inches (1.82 m) | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Charlotte FC (on loan from Galatasaray) |
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| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2010 | Crystal Palace | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2010–2013 | Crystal Palace | 110 | (12) |
| 2013–2015 | Manchester United | 2 | (0) |
| 2013 | → Crystal Palace (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2014 | → Cardiff City (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | → Crystal Palace (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2015–2023 | Crystal Palace | 291 | (68) |
| 2023– | Galatasaray | 30 | (9) |
| 2024–2025 | → Lyon (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2025– | → Charlotte FC (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2011 | England U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | England U21 | 13 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | England | 2 | (0) |
| 2017– | Ivory Coast | 33 | (5) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Dazet Wilfried Armel Zaha (born 10 November 1992) is a professional footballer. He plays as a winger. Currently, he plays for Major League Soccer club Charlotte FC. He is on loan from Süper Lig club Galatasaray. Wilfried also plays for the Ivory Coast national team.
Zaha grew up in the Crystal Palace youth academy. He made his first team debut in 2010. He scored 18 goals in 143 games for the club. He helped them get promoted to the Premier League in 2013. After that, he joined Manchester United. He was Sir Alex Ferguson's last signing. He won the Community Shield in his first game.
He played only four games for Manchester United. After a short loan at Cardiff City, Zaha returned to Crystal Palace in 2014. He scored 72 goals in 315 games over nine seasons. He became the club's tenth-highest goalscorer ever. He also became their highest goalscorer in the Premier League. He helped the club stay in the top league before he left in 2023.
Wilfried Zaha was born in the Ivory Coast. He grew up in England. He played for the England national team in 2012 and 2013. After not playing for England for four years, he chose to play for Ivory Coast in 2016. He played for Ivory Coast in the 2017, 2019, and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
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Early Life and Football Start
Wilfried Zaha was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. When he was four years old, his family moved to Thornton Heath in London, England. He has eight brothers and sisters.
He went to Whitehorse Manor Junior School and Selsdon High School. He loved playing football at school. At age 8, he joined the Crystal Palace football academy.
Club Career Highlights
Crystal Palace: Early Years
Wilfried Zaha made his first team debut for Crystal Palace on 27 March 2010. He came on as a substitute against Cardiff City. In April, he signed a two-year professional contract with the club.
He quickly became an important player. On 7 August 2010, he scored his first goal against Leicester City. He played 44 matches that season.
Becoming a Key Player
In the 2011–12 season, Zaha scored two goals in a League Cup match against Crawley Town. He played very well in Crystal Palace's surprise 2–1 win over Manchester United in the League Cup. This made big clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United interested in him.
In March 2012, Zaha was named The Football League's Young Player of the Year. He was also voted Crystal Palace Young Player of the Year for the second time. He played 48 games and scored 9 goals that season.
Promotion to the Premier League
Zaha started the 2012–13 season well. He scored two goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He scored two more goals four days later against Burnley.
On 13 May 2013, Zaha scored two goals in the play-off semi-final against Brighton & Hove Albion. These goals sent Crystal Palace to the play-off final. In the final, Zaha helped Crystal Palace win a penalty. This penalty secured their spot in the Premier League for the 2013–14 season.
Manchester United Experience
On 25 January 2013, Zaha agreed to join Premier League club Manchester United. He was loaned back to Crystal Palace for the rest of that season. He signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Manchester United. The transfer fee was reported to be £10 million.
On 11 August 2013, Zaha played his first game for Manchester United. It was in the 2013 FA Community Shield against Wigan Athletic. He started the game and played for 61 minutes. He won his first major trophy in football that day. He also made his Premier League debut on 7 December.
On 31 January 2014, Zaha joined Cardiff City on loan. He stayed there for the rest of the 2013–14 season.
Return to Crystal Palace: A New Chapter
Becoming a Club Legend
On 28 August 2014, Zaha returned to Crystal Palace on a season-long loan. In his first game back, he scored a goal in the last minute against Newcastle United. On 2 February 2015, his move to Palace became permanent. He signed a five-and-a-half-year contract.
Zaha played regularly for Crystal Palace. He scored four goals and had two assists that season. Crystal Palace finished in 10th place in the league.
FA Cup Final and Player of the Year Awards
In the 2015–16 season, Zaha played 34 games. He scored two goals and had one assist. He helped Crystal Palace reach the 2016 FA Cup Final. He played the whole 120 minutes in the final. However, Manchester United won the match 2–1. Zaha won the Crystal Palace Player of the Year award for the first time.
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In the 2016–17 season, Zaha scored an important goal against Hull City. This goal helped Crystal Palace stay in the top league. He won Crystal Palace's Player of the Year award for the second year in a row. On 26 May 2017, Zaha signed a new five-year contract with Crystal Palace.
Continued Success and Records
On 14 October 2017, Zaha returned to the starting team after two months. He scored a goal in a 2–1 win over Chelsea. This gave Crystal Palace their first points of the season. He was named Premier League Player of the Month for April 2018. He scored four goals and had one assist that month. He scored twice against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
Zaha was named Crystal Palace Player of the Year for the third time in a row. This was a rare achievement for the club.
In the first game of the 2018–19 season, Zaha scored against Fulham. It was his 23rd Premier League goal for the club. This tied him with Chris Armstrong as their top scorer in the competition. Four days later, he signed a new five-year contract. He soon became Palace's all-time Premier League top scorer.
Later Seasons at Palace
In the 2019–20 season, Zaha played in all 38 league matches. He scored four goals, including a long-distance goal against Chelsea.
On 12 September 2020, Zaha scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Southampton. On 19 September, he scored two goals against his former team Manchester United.
On 16 May 2021, Zaha scored his 11th league goal of the season. This was his new personal best for goals in a Premier League season.
On 27 September 2021, Zaha played his 400th game for Crystal Palace. He scored his 70th goal in a 1–1 draw with Brighton. On 30 October, Zaha became the first player to score 50 top-flight goals for Crystal Palace. He finished the season with 14 goals, a new personal record.
In the 2022–23 season, Zaha scored seven goals in 27 Premier League games. His contract ended at the end of the season. He decided to leave the club after 18 years.
Galatasaray and Loan Moves
On 23 July 2023, Zaha joined Süper Lig club Galatasaray in Turkey. He signed a three-year contract.
He played his first Süper Lig game on 12 August. On 20 September, he made his Champions League debut. He assisted a goal in a 2–2 draw. On 3 October, he scored his first Champions League goal. It was against his former club Manchester United. Galatasaray won 3–2 at Old Trafford.
Loan to Lyon and Charlotte FC
On 30 August 2024, Zaha joined Lyon in France on loan. This loan was set to last until the end of the 2024–25 season. However, his loan was ended early on 22 January 2025. He then joined Charlotte FC on loan.
International Career
Wilfried Zaha could play for either the Ivory Coast, where he was born, or England, where he grew up.
Playing for England (2011–2013)
Zaha was called up to the England under-19 team in February 2011. He was then called up to the under-21 team in February 2012. He made his debut in a 4–0 win against Belgium.
On 11 November 2012, Zaha was called up to the senior England team. He made his debut on 14 November in a friendly match against Sweden. He came on as a substitute.
Playing for Ivory Coast (2016–Present)
On 27 November 2016, Zaha decided to play for the Ivory Coast. He was named in the Ivory Coast squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. He made his debut against Sweden on 8 January. He assisted a goal in a 2–1 win. Three days later, he scored his first goal against Uganda. Ivory Coast was eliminated in the group stage of the tournament.
Zaha also played in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. He scored two goals in the tournament. One was against Namibia and the other was against Mali. Ivory Coast lost in the quarter-finals. He also played in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
How Wilfried Zaha Plays
Zaha can play as a forward or a winger. He usually plays on the left side. From there, he can cut inside and shoot with his right foot. He is known for his speed and quick moves with the ball. This makes him very hard for defenders to stop. He has caused many opponents to get red cards in the Premier League.
Personal Life
Wilfried Zaha married Paige Bannister in July 2023.
He is also a co-chairman of a football club called AFC Croydon Athletic. He shares this role with Danny Young and Michael Owuo Jr., who is also known as Stormzy.
Honours and Awards
Crystal Palace
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2013 (Promotion to Premier League)
Manchester United
- FA Community Shield: 2013
Galatasaray
- Süper Lig: 2023–24
- Turkish Super Cup: 2023
Individual Awards
- Football League Young Player of the Month: October 2012
- PFA Team of the Year: 2012–13 Championship
- Crystal Palace Player of the Year: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Premier League Player of the Month: April 2018
- Premier League Goal of the Month: February 2022
Images for kids
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Zaha with Crystal Palace in 2012
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Zaha in League Cup action for Palace against future loan club Cardiff, 2012
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Zaha playing on loan for Cardiff City in 2014
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Zaha playing for Palace, 2017
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Zaha playing for Ivory Coast at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
See also
In Spanish: Wilfried Zaha para niños
- List of England international footballers born outside England
