Wilfried Zaha admits he is 'starstruck' after joining Manchester United

The winger has been on the club's pre-season tour

Robin van Persie (GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester United new-boy Wilfried Zaha has admitted he is still “starstruck” to be sharing a dressing room with so many Premier League big names.

Zaha joined United in January but under the terms of his transfer from Crystal Palace he remained at Selhurst Park for the remainder of the season.

The decisions paid rich dividends given the 20-year-old guided Palace back into the top flight, at the same time gaining valuable experience that would have been denied him had he made an immediate switch to Old Trafford.

Now the work has begun for Zaha though.

And the England Under-21 star admits it is taking a little adjusting to.

"I'm still a bit starstruck, if I'm honest," Zaha told http://www.manutd.com.

"In the changing room I'm sitting between Ryan Giggs and Danny Welbeck, famous people who I watch all the time on TV.

"I sit there and think, 'Oh my God, I'm actually in the changing room with these guys'.

"It's a dream to be able to play with them but I'm obviously here for a reason.

"I worked hard at Palace to get the move I wanted and I just want to prove to people that I deserve to be here."

Travelling on to Japan after a week's intensive training in Sydney is an eye-opener given United's vast popularity in that part of the world.

Yet Zaha has not seemed fazed by the elevation in interest and has already caught the eye, albeit in a squad where the three most experienced wide players - Ashley Young, Nani and Antonio Valencia - are still to feature during the pre-season campaign.

There has been talk of Young linking up with his team-mates at some point before they return to the UK, with Chris Smalling scheduled to accompany him on the trip.

However, Zaha, who made his senior England debut in Sweden last November, is happy to take small steps at present.

"For my first season the plan is to secure a first-team place," he said.

"I just want to be able to play regularly. If I manage to accomplish that then I can move on to other things."

PA