There can be little doubting that Wilfried Zaha is one of the most talented players in the Premier League.

At the very least, he is considered the finest player outside of the traditional top six and few transfer windows go by without him being linked with a high-profile exit from Crystal Palace.

More often than not, however, Zaha shows his allegiance to the south London club for whom he has played since the age of 12 and made over 300 appearances across four spells.

There have only been two exceptions across his career and taking away a forgettable loan spell with Cardiff City, that concerns a certain Manchester United.

After impressing for Palace in the Championship, Sir Alex Ferguson made Zaha the last signing of his illustrious career and the Ivorian would eventually join in the summer of his departure.

Zaha struggled badly at Man Utd

Nevertheless, his time with arguably the world's biggest club wasn't the dream move it looked to be and Zaha struggled for game-time under David Moyes.

After appearing on just four occasions for the Red Devils, the 25-year-old soon returned to Selhurst Park on loan and eventually permanently in 2014.

Given his abundance of talent, though, what went so badly wrong for Zaha at Old Trafford?

Zaha on where things went wrong

Well, the player himself has opened up on his spell at United in an interview this week, speaking honestly about his failings and - frankly - it's rather sad to hear.

"When I was at United I had money but I was still so down and depressed," Zaha reflected in an interview with The Guardian.

“People think your life’s different because you’ve got money, you’ve got fame, so they don’t treat you the same.



“There were rumours that the reason I wasn’t playing for United was because I slept with David Moyes’ daughter, and no one attempted to clear that up.

“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. 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?’”

You've got to feel for Zaha here.

For all the opportunity and economic gains of signing for United, he struggled with mental health throughout his spell and wasn't given the support he needed.

Whether or not the Red Devils will kick themselves about the decision remains to be seen but Zaha is doing plenty at Palace to prove his quality.

Of course, there is a huge step up when it comes to the top six and only time will tell whether Zaha decides to leave Palace for a second time.

Fans can only hope that things turn out better than last time, if he does.

Do you think Zaha is the best player outside of the Premier League top six? Have your say in the comments section below.

News Now - Sport News