Wilfried Zaha admits he was ‘shocked’ by how good Aaron Wan-Bissaka was during their first training sessions together and has revealed that Manchester United’s incoming signing is a quiet figure in Crystal Palace’s dressing room.
United are on the verge of completing a deal for the 21-year-old having agreed a £50 million transfer fee with Palace.
Wan-Bissaka is currently in Manchester to finalise his move to United and is a key part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s defensive rebuild at Old Trafford.
Wan-Bissaka was considered as one of the Premier League’s best right-backs last season and speaking in Palace’s documentary about the 21-year-old’s development last year, Zaha admits he was immediately impressed with the defender’s introduction to the first team.
‘I was kind of shocked by how good he was when I played against him,’ Zaha said.
‘I’ve played against a few decent right-backs, to be honest, and he’s one of them.
‘You may go past him but he always manages to get a last-ditch tackle in.
‘I don’t understand how you go from a winger to a right-back though, because he’s so good at defending, but I think that’s his natural position.’
Zaha also revealed that Wan-Bissaka is one of the quieter characters inside Palace’s dressing room and is not fazed when playing against tough opposition.
‘Unless you speak to him, he will not say a word,’ said Zaha.
‘Literally, he’s in the changing room quiet.
‘But he does his speaking on the pitch, really. That’s why everyone likes him. He doesn’t chirp up much.
‘He just comes in, does what he has to do, plays his game, plays well and goes home.
‘The games he’s come in, the players he’s played against, I was kinda shocked because it’s just like, ‘oh, he’s playing against Sanchez today’.
‘He just deals with it casually. I like his mentality.
‘That’s how I am when I go on the pitch, no matter what kit you’re wearing, I will not fear your team because of what you’re wearing, I’ll play the same way.
‘And that’s what I feel he does, he’ll take on whoever, he’ll tackle whoever, and that’s why I rate him as much as I do.’
