Wilfried Zaha

“Just because I don't smile a lot, people think, 'Ah, yeah. He must have a bad attitude.' But if you don't know me, you don't know me. That was the problem. My face is just serious!”

“I can deal with the media; I can deal with some of the criticism I get and still focus on what I need to do.”

“Luckily, Palace have had love for me from the beginning. It is the team I could fall back on.”

“I prefer playing up front, really, because I feel like if I make the right run, or if I get the ball at the right time, I can just be one-on-one with the defender, and then if I manage to get past the centre-back, it's one-on-one with the 'keeper.”

“One of my brothers, Serge, was at a couple of professional clubs on trial, including Palace when they had Ashley Cole on loan. He was a winger, though left-footed, and I learned a lot of my skills from him.”

“I love it at Palace; the fans have got loads of love for me.”

“I feel like I am a good player.”

“If Man United and Liverpool fans feel better by calling me a black monkey in my messages... feel free to carry on if it makes your day better.”

“Play well, play regularly, and score goals. Nothing else.”

“As for me not playing for England, I've got no regret at all.”

“There is nothing worse than not being involved. You are sitting there thinking, 'What exactly am I? A footballer who is not playing football?' You feel a bit worthless sitting in the stands, watching all the time.”

“I am a very ambitious person.”

“Now I want to play with the Ivory Coast. It has been rewarding, firstly because I am proud to play for my country, then because the Ivorian selection has quality players and has always been a reservoir of talent.”

“I don't have anything against United. Playing them won't make me run any faster or try any harder.”

“Everyone at United made me really feel at home. They are decent lads at United - all of them.”

“People think your life's different because you've got money, you've got fame, so they don't treat you the same.”

“I'm always happy to score, really, and obviously help the team.”

“When I was at United, I had money, but I was still so down and depressed.”

“I just come to training, work hard, go home, prepare for the game, then play.”

“Obviously, I have arguments with people on the pitch, with all the emotions.”