Hodgson 'pleased' about Zaha exit rumours

Cape Town - Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson insists the club should be “pleased” at reports linking Wilfried Zaha with a move to the Premier League’s top six.

Former Manchester United winger Zaha has been the stand-out figure for strugglers Palace this season and that form has not gone unnoticed after speculation that Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are all keeping tabs on the 25-year-old.

Hodgson - who has presided over a seven-game unbeaten streak to take Palace out of the drop zone - refused to give any guarantees over Zaha’s future at Selhurst Park.

But he says the speculation should serve as encouragement for Palace fans, as it shows just how well Zaha is playing.

“I don’t think that as a manager you can ever give guarantees on anything,” said Hodgson.

“It’s a great credit to the club and Will Zaha that if there are rumours circulating that there are so called bigger clubs looking at him and maybe thinking of making a bid, we should be pleased about that because it means he’s playing well.

“That’s the way we are looking at it and if the day comes that when one of those rumours becomes the truth and there’s a concrete situation, I will come to terms with it at that moment in time.

“If you ask if I want him to stay, then like the rest of Crystal Palace supporters of course I do. I’m happy to let the rumours abound.

“He’s helping us win games and I’ve no doubt that will continue until the day when he can no longer do it for us. Like most Crystal Palace fans, I hope that’s a long way off.”