Wilfried Zaha scored nine league goals in 2017/18 to help Crystal Palace to an 11th-place finish. Reuters
Wilfried Zaha scored nine league goals in 2017/18 to help Crystal Palace to an 11th-place finish. Reuters
Wilfried Zaha scored nine league goals in 2017/18 to help Crystal Palace to an 11th-place finish. Reuters
Wilfried Zaha scored nine league goals in 2017/18 to help Crystal Palace to an 11th-place finish. Reuters

Wilfried Zaha 'buzzing' after signing new five-year deal at Crystal Palace


Steve Luckings
  • English
  • Arabic

Crystal Palace have tied star forward Wilfried Zaha to a new long-term contract, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

The Ivory Coast international has signed a new five-year contract to remain at Selhurst Park until 2023, with several reports in Britain saying the 25 year old's improved terms will see him pocket £130,000 a week (Dh607,000), making him the club's highest-paid player.

Zaha, who had an unhappy season at Manchester United in 2013/14 before returning to Palace, had been linked with potential moves to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur during the transfer window but no deal materialised.

Zaha, scorer of Palace's second goal in a 2-0 opening day win over Fulham on Saturday, turned down an offer of an extension earlier in the summer, which led some to speculate the player's desire to leave the club. But the player insists that was not the case and is happy to finally have his contract situation resolved.

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Read more:

Premier League preview 2018/19 - Crystal Palace: Hodgson's men again look to Zaha to inspire

Premier League 2018/19 preview: Team-by-team guide and predictions

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“I’m very pleased. Obviously, I just wanted to get it over and done with, so I can just focus on the season," he said. "I’m buzzing that we managed to get it sorted.”

Palace chairman Steve Parish was equally pleased to have his star player commit his future to the south London club.

"Wilf grew up a stone's throw from Selhurst Park from the age of four, and has been with the club since he was 12," Palace chairman Steve Parish said in a statement.

"This agreement is yet another example of his lifelong commitment to the club, and our commitment to him. This is an amazing day for everyone here at Palace, our supporters and of course Wilf – and is richly deserved."

Zaha's importance to manager Roy Hodgson cannot be overstated. He netted a career-high nine Premier League goals and made three assists to help Palace secure an 11th-place finish last season after a disastrous start. Palace failed to win a league game without Zaha in the side in 2017/18. By contrast, they won 11 and drew 11 of their 28 games in which he started.

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

The five new places of worship

Church of South Indian Parish

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St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch

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Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais

 

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
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  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes

'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press

MATCH INFO

CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures

Tuesday:

Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)

Second legs:

October 23

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'Jurassic%20World%20Dominion'
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Colin%20Trevorrow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Sam%20Neill%2C%20Laura%20Dern%2C%20Jeff%20Goldblum%2C%20Bryce%20Dallas%20Howard%2C%20Chris%20Pratt%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Notable cricketers and political careers
  • India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
  • Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
  • Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
  • Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)