‘It was always my dream’ – Wilfried Zaha opens up about Crystal Palace exit

Wilfried Zaha says it was the right time for him to move on from Crystal Palace and admitted it had always been his dream to play Champions League football.

The 30-year-old South London-raised Zaha returns to England tonight as his new side, Galatasaray, take on Manchester United in the Champions League group stage.

Zaha turned down a club-record £200,000 a week at Selhurst Park to sign for the Turkish giants in the summer.

The Ivory Coast international made his debut for the Crystal Palace first team aged 17 and went on to make 458 senior appearances across two spells.

He is the club’s record Premier League goalscorer and appearance holder.

When asked if it was a difficult decision, Zaha told TNTSports: “It was.

“But at the same time, I thought: ‘It’s the time for me to move on now.’

“There were the younger players coming through and I felt as though it gave them an opportunity to shine as well.

“I had been at Crystal Palace for a long time – I felt like I accomplished everything I could there.

“It was always my dream to play Champions League, so to get that opportunity finally was something that I couldn’t turn down.

“I had to wave goodbye to Crystal Palace – the club I loved for many years.

“I still love them, but it’s a new adventure for me.”