Former Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha has broken silence on rumours that he failed to break into the squad because he slept with the daughter of then manager David Moyes.
Zaha, 27, arrived at United as a promising teenager with searing pace and trickery, which marked the last signing of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Having been tipped to be the next superstar winger at Old Trafford, the Ivory Coast international made just two Premier League appearances for the club before a loan stint to Cardiff City.
After his spell in Wales, Zaha returned to his boyhood club Crystal Palace, where he rebuilt his career and developed a reputation as one of the most feared attackers in the league.
And now as Europe's elite swarm around in a bid to land his services, Zaha has reflected on the nightmare spell in Manchester, as well as the unscrupulous rumours that surrounded his personal life.
Speaking to ex-team-mate Rio Ferdinand for The Locker Room, he said: "No one at the club at all told me anything, I didn't know what to do whatsoever.
"I remember tweeting something about it saying 'silly rumours' because it was getting too much, so I had to say something myself and then I remember the club media messaging me saying 'you shouldn't have done that, you shouldn't have done this' and I'm thinking 'you haven't helped me.'
"I'm here by myself, struggling because people are telling me I've slept with the manager's daughter and that's why you're not playing me.
"The funny thing is, it's carried on for so long I felt like, is the manager not going to come and have a word with me over this?
"That's how I felt and I'm thinking this is ridiculous man. Up to this day, I still get people that think that's true and I've never even met his daughter."
Source: kickoff.com