Wilfried Zaha: I felt worthless at Manchester United

But he says he is now 'happy again' at Crystal Palace

Wilfried Zaha only made three first-team appearances for United (Getty)

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has admitted that he felt "worthless" during his disastrous spell at Manchester United, where he only made three first-team appearances after his £15m move.

Zaha signed for United in January 2013, before moving straight back to Palace on loan. He eventually joined up with United that summer, before failing to secure a regular place in the side under David Moyes, who had succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 22-year-old Zaha, was, of course, Ferguson's final signing during his trophy-laden Old Trafford tenure.

“There is nothing worse than not being involved,” Zaha, who moved back to Palace on a permanent transfer in January, told the Daily Telegraph.

‘You are sitting there thinking ‘what exactly am I? A footballer who is not playing football?’ You feel a bit worthless sitting in the stands, watching all the time. You have nothing to speak about with the players.

“If you have played the game then it’s ‘well done’ or ‘you should have passed here or there’. But when you haven’t played, I think people lose a bit of respect for you. I think they are thinking ‘well, he’s not played’. They don’t have anything to speak to you about. It’s a big thing.

“And I’m frustrated when I am not playing. My family is frustrated. My friends are frustrated.

“It was difficult when it came to a game at United and they were asking me for tickets and asking ‘are you playing?’ and that used to cut deep because I would think: ‘I can’t just invite my family’ because I had that doubt in my head as to whether I was even going to be in the squad.

“They would come to United and I would be in the stands. Now I am just able to say ‘here’s tickets. I am starting the game’. I am happy again.”