Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PREMIER LEAGUE GESTURE
Forget what you think you know about Zaha... behind the entertainment and headlines is a player who cares so much about his homeland he donates 10 PER CENT of his salary to his own charity for good causes back in the Ivory Coast
WILFRIED ZAHA was at the centre of one of the biggest stories of the transfer window in the summer.
The Crystal Palace winger is long-established as one of the Premier League’s most exciting players and it is little wonder both Arsenal and Everton tried to sign him.
But lost in the headlines was the other story about Zaha using his platform as one of football’s biggest stars to make a real difference in his native Ivory Coast. Juan Mata has deservedly received praise for his role in being a co-founder of Common Goal, in which players and managers donate at least one per cent of their wages to support football charities around the world.
But each month, Zaha donates 10 PER CENT of his contract – which is reported to be worth £130,000 a week – to good causes, including his sister’s orphanage, Tomorrow’s Hope.
He has also set up the
Zaha Foundation to help charities in the
Ivory Coast, not least to help youngsters play football. Zaha grew up as one of nine siblings in his country of birth and it is too easy to look at every Premier League star and think they are just about money, fast cars and big houses.
His rise to become an icon and symbol of hope in the Ivory Coast represents a growing trend among players who want to use their fame to make a difference. Manchester United star Mata, Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin and Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah are just three of a growing band to make donations and use their platform to be heard.
But few are as generous or surprising as Zaha, who recently received the Best of Africa Award for Philanthropic Endeavour at a ceremony in London. Hearing him speak with eloquence, passion and authority, you realise the 26-year-old has matured into someone incredibly aware of his privileges, which is the reason he wants to give something back, having grown up from humble beginnings.
But Zaha’s charity work and profile is also the motivational force behind his football career, even if he sounded more like a politician than a footballer when giving an incredibly impressive speech in getting his award.
Zaha (with Everton boss Marco Silva, below) said: “My passion for football has given me a platform to do something I love and to help others that, like me, didn’t receive any help or handouts.
“I know what it’s like to come from nothing and not have any handouts, so I hope that what I’m doing is putting a smile on some people’s faces. Realising my dreams to be a professional footballer inspires me every day to help others.”
Zaha turns 27 next month and is as ambitious as ever in his career, but believes having the right support mechanism is vital for his future.
He said: “The upcoming years are probably my peak years and I want to make sure that I have people around me I can trust and rely on. I want to know that everyone around me is like family and we have got each other’s back.”
But Zaha is already thinking about his future beyond football and is fully committed to putting all of his energies into his charity work after his playing days have finished. He added: “I love football and always give everything on the pitch, but I am aware that one day I will have another life with my charity, family, friends, and those trusted people around me.”