Propper is chilled out
Get to know man behind the player, pleads Zaha
BRIGHTON’S Davy Propper says the only thing that has stressed him out this season is seeing his daughter with a snake – so there is no chance of the midfielder being worried about facing Crystal Palace at the Amex today.
“What stresses me?” said Propper, below. “I saw my daughter, Rocky, with a snake at school – that stressed me.”
But he knows it is wise not to be too relaxed in a derby match that often surprises people with its intensity.
“You need to be relaxed at the right times and sometimes you need adrenaline to play good,” he said.
Brighton need a result, having failed to win a game in 2020, but Propper is unbeaten in five matches against Palace since arriving at the club in 2017.
AS ONE of the Premier League’s biggest talents, Wilfried Zaha is marked man for rival defenders and supporters.
But what frustrates the Crystal Palace winger is that he is a world away from the public perception of him.
“All everyone ever sees is an angry, passionate Wilf playing,” he said. “I like to win, so that’s the side that people see. It does frustrate me. You don’t even know me, but you have decided you don’t like me. How is that possible? It’s crazy, man. I’m actually a nice guy.
“For some reason, I’m that pantomime villain every club hates. We played against Colchester, I’ve never played against them before, I go on and
aI get booed. I’m thinking, ‘You don’t even know me, why are you booing me?’”
So, maybe it is time for an introduction. He was born in Ivory Coast, he is one of nine siblings and was brought up in South London.
The memories of a strict upbringing, pushing his dad’s car to training after it broke down for the umpteenth time, makes him appreciate what he has now.
He enjoys giving back to his own charity – an orphanage, Tomorrow’s Hope, run by his sister in Ivory Coast – and he is religious. His three-year-old son is his escape from football
EAR EAR: Zaha wants to be known for more than just his on-field passion and the swirling, angry world that can surround it.
He grew up idolising Ronaldinho and still wants to be that entertainer, but is humble enough to admit he was star-struck when he met his boyhood hero.
Zaha comes across as a likeable guy, very laid-back and yet driven. There is a frustration from within at signing for Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson but never getting the chance to play under him because
David
Moyes took over. “I would have liked to have had more of an opportunity to show I was good enough for Manchester United,” he said.
“But I feel like that period has pushed me to still be relevant now. I’m still buzzing about the day I met Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton.
“One of the greatest managers in the Premier League and he’s telling me, ‘I want you to come to my team’. It was a no-brainer. I was a bit sad when I saw him leave because he didn’t tell me he was going to retire.
“I will always love Palace. I’ve been here since I was eight. But I am ambitious, I feel I can go to the next level so if there is an opportunity feel like I can’t say no
to it.”
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