Zaha? England should be player’s only choice
GARETH Southgate has told Wilfried Zaha that he will not be held to ransom by players deciding whether they want to play for England.
The coach has said he only wants players who are completely committed in his squad and bluntly told Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish to mind his own business over Zaha kissing goodbye to his England career to play for Ivory Coast.
Frustrated Palace winger Zaha opted to play for Les Elephants, despite making two appearances for England and playing under Southgate at Under-21 level.
Southgate’s appeal at the time to keep himself available for England was ignored as Zaha appeared in the African Nations Cup in January.
On Friday, Zaha underlined his quality by scoring a brilliant goal for Ivory Coast in their 2-0 friendly win over Russia.
Parish tweeted afterwards: “Never wavered in my belief of Wilfried Zaha, why is this goal not for England?”
But Southgate, right, said: “Steve Parish has a vociferous view. He has done a great job for that club.
“I am not sure it is helpful for him to comment. I would not comment on his decision and we are both in prominent roles. He is passionate
about his club and his players. He was keen to push that forward and I understand it.
“I have to focus on players who are desperate to play for England. If you don’t feel that 100 per cent passion, I am not sure it is for me to sell that to you.
“It should be your desire to play for your country. It should be them coming to us. Jermain Defoe’s whole life has been a desire to play for England.
“If you had approached him to go and play for somebody else, he would not have done it.
“I did not get capped with England until I was 25. I had no interest in playing for anybody else. I’m English and proud to be English.” Southgate said he had not realised that there was an “egg-timer” on his time to select Zaha, who was born in Ivory Coast, before they picked him, adding: “It was a very small time-scale. I did not want to just pick him because there was a chance he might go.
“The first opportunity I had as permanent manager, I spoke to him. I did not appreciate there was this egg-timer over him going.”