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20th September 2018
07:53pm BST

"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?'"
While Zaha was capped by England in 2012, he has since pledged his international allegiance to the Ivory Coast.
The 25-year-old remains Crystal Palace's talisman but his time at United so nearly had an irreparable effect on his confidence and happiness as a player.
"When I was at United I had [money], but I was still so down and depressed," Zaha added.
"People think your life’s different because you’ve got money, you’ve got fame, so they don’t treat you the same."Explore more on these topics: