Wilfried Zaha Has Tools To Be Top : Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand admits he’s been pleasantly surprised by Wilfried Zaha on Manchester United’s Tour 2013 presented by Aon.

Zaha

The young winger has shone in each of his four performances so far, and rescued the Reds from defeat in Osaka with an injury-time equaliser to cap an impressive cameo from the bench. Zaha’s direct approach and eagerness to take on defenders has set tongues wagging, both among United’s fan base and inside the Reds’ dressing room.

“The thing that has most impressed me about Wilf is his raw ability,” Ferdinand told ManUtd.com and PA Sport after the 2-2 draw in Osaka. “He can take someone on from a standing start. He’s quick and direct but what has surprised me more than anything is how quickly he gets his shots off. “I hadn’t seen a great deal of him beforehand and obviously he’s a winger, but he seems to have a hunger to get inside and cause trouble in the opponents’ box and that’s a good thing to have.”

Ferdinand was understandably reluctant to heap too much praise on Zaha too early, but admits he’s excited to see what sort of player the 20-year-old matures into. “I don’t like to say too much too early, but I think he’s a fantastic talent," added the defender. “He’s a raw talent with great individual skills who can only get better. The early signs are he’s a hard worker who wants to improve and be a top footballer. With those attributes and hopefully that desire and influence from the players at this club means we’ll hopefully have a top player on our hands.

“The advice I’d give him is simply to get his head down and work hard. It’s as simple as that. It’s not rocket science. He needs to keep working on all aspects of his game, learn from others around him and keep on improving.”