Money will not tempt Wilfried Zaha to leave Crystal Palace, but he is not going to stay ‘because of my blue eyes’, says Roy Hodgson

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Giuseppe Muro30 April 2018

Roy Hodgson is confident Wilfried Zaha will not have his head turned by money if a big offer comes in this summer to tempt him away from Crystal Palace.

Tottenham could make a fresh move for Zaha and Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City have also been linked with a move for the 25-year-old.

The winger inspired Palace to a 5-0 win against Leicester on Saturday that effectively guaranteed their Premier League survival.

Palace do not want to sell Zaha and Hodgson hopes he can persuade the Ivory Coast international to stay at Selhurst Park.

Hodgson said: “Keeping Wilf will be a club issue. He is not going to stay because of my blue eyes.

“He will stay because he likes playing at Selhurst Park and he thinks this is the right club for him.

“A lot will depend on what offers come to the club.

“The only thing I can say with any certainly is that there is no one at the club who wants him to leave.

“The one thing I do know, if ever someone like Wilf’s head does ever get turned, it will not simply be because there is a little bit more money involved. It will be for other reasons. At the moment, it is speculation.”

Zaha has indicated he wants to stay at Palace this summer and said he does not see himself at another club.

He had an unhappy spell at Manchester United early in his career but Hodgson believes the winger is now mature enough to handle the pressure of playing for a big club.

Hodgson added: “I have heard him say in interviews that he thought he was too young when he went to Manchester United and he was not ready to handle the pressures.

“I am sure he has matured and that is no longer the case.”

Palace are not mathematically safe but the thumping victory against the former Premier League champions has gone a long way to assuring a sixth season in the top flight.

Hodgson has revived Palace since he took over from Frank de Boer but the 70-year-old has credited his players for the turnaround in their fortunes.

“For me football will always be about players,” said the former England manager. “We are in the cult of the celebrity and managers and coaches get a lot more recognition than they did years ago, but the fact is these supporters do not come to see me, they come to watch the players.”

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