WILF POWER

I’ve sacrificed a lot to make it to the top says ace Zaha

The Ivory Coast star, who has been linked with moves to Chelsea and Arsenal, is at the top of his game this season, netting five goals in five games.

And he was once again the focal point for the Eagles on Saturday as a brilliant individual performance saw the winger, 27, score one goal and set up the other in a 2- 1 win at Fulham.

But Zaha, who considers Paul Ince and John Barnes black role models for his generation, has revealed the temptations he has had to overcome to reach the peak of the game.

“If you really want to get to the pinnacle, there’s sacrifice,” he said. “Not everyone’s willing to do it.

“I missed so many parties. I thought, ‘ That’s the party of the year’. As you grow up you realise there’s a party every other day.

“I’ve lain in bed thinking that could have been me. I’ve weighed up the options and thought about my dream every single day.”

Zaha, who was born in the Ivory Coast but grew up in south London, added: “I signed for Crystal Palace when I was eight and the goal was always to be a footballer. When your mindset is that goal, you can’t fail.

“I’ve never had a day when I thought I don’t fancy it. The love I have for football is unbelievable – even if it’s raining.

“Football was my No. 1 goal growing up. There weren’t many opportunities and it pushed me even more. There were periods when it was difficult – times when I was giving my utmost but I wasn’t getting a look in.

“I’ve got to training without having boots, wearing trainers because I can’t afford boots like everyone else. I’ve worked hard at

MENTORS: Paul Ince and John Barnes training and being told I wasn’t starting used to crush me. But it motivated me even more.

“I’d like my legacy to be that your area doesn’t define you. You’re just willing to put the time in and sacrifice everything for a better tomorrow.

“Don’t let anyone tell you, You can only stop yourself.”

And Zaha praised Ince and the former West Ham and Manchester United star’s fellow England teammate Barnes for their courage in facing racial abuse in the 80s and 90s when there were few mechanisms to combat it.

Speaking on Sky Sports as part ‘ No’.

EAGLES’ NEST: Wilfried Zaha in action this season and in his early days at Selhurst Park of Black History Month, the Palace star added: “Paul Ince and John Barnes played for top teams where there’s so much scrutiny, I can imagine the racial abuse they had.

“Hats off to those two. The abuse we get we can report it. But to have gone through that every single day with no repercussions – it must have been the hardest thing ever.

“We have to thank those players. They stuck by it, gave us other black players the opportunity to come through it.”

WHEN Liverpool were drawn alongside FC Midtjylland in the Champions League tears were shed.

As the names came out of the hat, the Danish club’s past and present directors sat in a restaurant in Herring and watched.

There was joy as they ended up in the same group as the current Premier League champions.

But somewhere else, probably back at the club’s training ground, there were tears.

Jorgen Kjaer, the father of current Denmark captain Simon, is the Midtjylland kitman – and he also happens to be a diehard Liverpool fan.

His kit room at the club’s MCH Arena is a shrine to the Reds and nobody was happier than him when tonight’s trip to Anfield was secured.

“He cried when he saw the draw as this is obviously a very, very big thing for him, to go to Anfield,” said Rasmus Ankersen the club chairman.

“A lot of people in Denmark in our area have two clubs they support – and that’s Midtjylland and Liverpool.”

But it is dream moments like tonight, when the Danish champions travel to Anfield in the Champions League, that some of the giants in Europe no longer want.

They want a closed shop which the smaller teams can’t crash.

“I think Midtjylland is a good example of the importance of keeping the dream alive for small clubs,” said Ankersen.

“I hope that opportunity will still be kept alive for us, and other teams in similar positions, but I think it’s going to be more and more difficult.”