Zaha may never leave Crystal Palace as 'attitude' has held star back from big move

The 28-year-old has been routinely linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, but it appears he's going nowhere for the time being, and Dean Ashton believes he may end up never leaving the Eagles.

Zaha scored a penalty as Patrick Vieira's men handed Tottenham a 3-0 pasting on Saturday afternoon, with debutant Odsonne Edouard scoring Palace's other two goals to cap off a perfect start at his new club.

It was a brilliant team performance by the Eagles but Zaha was one of their star players, as he has been for a number of years, with Ashton hailing his 'outstanding' display.

The forward, who joined boyhood club Palace as a 12-year-old, has been linked with a move away on many occasions. It's understood Arsenal tried to sign him in the summer of 2019 but were unable to meet Palace's valuation.

Zaha turns 29 later this year and time could be running out for the former Manchester United player to join a bigger club again.

But Ashton suggested that it's not all the fault of the Eagles that Zaha hasn't moved, suggesting the player's attitude and body language may have held him back.

On whether Zaha could be at Palace for the rest of his career, Ashton told talkSPORT: "Possibly. I think he's more than good enough to have stepped up a level, there's no doubt about that.

"I just wonder whether it is that attitude, that body language that he has so often in games - he allows games to drift past him because of that body language.

"Sometimes it is those little things that the top clubs are looking at and maybe that's what's lacking because ability wise he's got bags of it."

Earlier in the match, Zaha was involved in a confrontation with Japhet Tanganga after being pushed to the floor by the Tottenham defender, who was then sent off moments later for a late challenge on Jordan Ayew.

Ashton labelled Tanganga's challenge on Zaha as 'absolutely disgusting' but the Palace star was perhaps fortunate to only get a yellow card in the exchange having raised his hands at his opponent.

Ashton touched on Zaha's temperament earlier in the match, saying: "You surely play your best football when in a good mood, but he just looks angry all the time."

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