Wilfried Zaha’s journey to football stardom is a story of perseverance and resilience, shaped by humble beginnings and a passion for the game. Born in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Zaha was the youngest of nine children. Before his parents, Tiendé and Armel Zaha, experienced a financial breakthrough, life was challenging for the family. After relocating to the UK, they settled in Thornton Heath, Croydon—a tough London neighbourhood.
Humble Beginnings in Abidjan: The Story of Wilfried Zaha’s Rise
Despite the harsh environment, Zaha’s love for football, inspired by his idol, Didier Drogba, only grew stronger. Living just down the road from Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park, he spent his days honing his skills, even as his community was plagued by crime and violence. Many of Wilfried’s childhood friends fell victim to the dangerous lifestyle, but Zaha remained focused on his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
This biography delves into Zaha’s life, from his early days in Ivory Coast to his rise in English football. It also touches on his personal life, including the media’s speculation about his alleged relationship with Lauren Moyes, the daughter of David Moyes. Wilfried Zaha’s story is one of overcoming adversity and staying true to his passion, no matter the obstacles. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Wilfried Zaha Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
To start his biography, Dazet Wilfried Armel Zaha was born on the 10th day of November, 1992, in the city of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Wilfried is the youngest of eight siblings and was born to his parents, Tiendé (mother) and Armel Zaha (dad), who both come from Côte d’Ivoire. When he was four years old, his family experienced a financial breakthrough that allowed them to move to the United Kingdom. They settled in Thornton Heath, located in the London Borough of Croydon.
Young Wilfried Zaha in his Childhood days.
Before relocating to Europe, Little Wilfried was used to playing football while in his native country, Cote d’Ivoire.
The youngster continued a similar trend in his London school, which is very close to Crystal Palace Academy.
In fact, Zaha grew up down the road from Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park stadium, a place his parents settled after moving to England. It is a neighbourhood noted for many blacks, which is why the club absorbs lots of black players.
As a teen, Wilfried never missed watching Chelsea matches on TV. He was addicted to Didier Drogba, who came to score his first-ever Chelsea goal against Crystal Palace, which he attended.
Further, seeing a fellow countryman having so much dominance in the premier league created a new passion for him. Wilfried saw a passion that denoted his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
With the support of his Father, Armel Zaha, Wilfried joined Crystal Palace academy at the age of 12. He later got his senior call for Palace in 2010, thus helping them return to the Premier League.
In January 2013, Wilfried Zaha was transferred to Manchester United for an initial fee of £10 million, marking Alex Ferguson‘s last signing before his retirement. Zaha returned to Crystal Palace in August 2014 on a season-long loan and then rejoined the club permanently in February 2015. The rest, as they say, is history.
Wilfried Zaha David Moyes Daughter Story:
Truth be told. Wilfried Zaha suffers from relationship complications. Starting off, we give you a story of his alleged first wag. No other than David Moye’s daughter, Lauren.
The story of Wilfried Zaha David Moyes’ Daughter.
According to WILFRIED ZAHA: “People said I slept with Lauren. I’ve not even met her!”. David Moyes was reportedly angered when intimate photos of Zaha and his daughter, Lauren, surfaced online.
Rumours reveal that both met through ‘Plenty of Fish‘, an online dating service. Also, Lauren suddenly became the reason Wilfried Zaha left Man United for Crystal Palace in 2013 for £15m.
In fact, his stay at Old Trafford proved unhappy, with rumours fueling between him and Lauren Moyes. Lauren Moyes was only 19 at that time.
She has since deleted her Twitter account because of the mischievous claims. Below is her looking very angry.
Lauren wasn’t happy with the rumours of her sleeping with Wilfried Zaha.
Suddenly, first-team opportunities to play with United became limited for Zaha, all thanks to punishment from David Moyes, who felt betrayed.
However, Wilfried Zaha kept on denying the claim, calling it ‘Rubbish Silly Rumours’.
Even while the case seemed to have died down, the media still attacked him. This time, it concerns his son, whom he had through his extremely beautiful Ivorian girlfriend, Lavena Valentino.
Both met in Côte d’Ivoire while Wilfried Zaha was on a serious baby mama hunt in his native Côte d’Ivoire.
This is Lavena Valentino, Wilfried Zaha’s girlfriend from the Ivory Coast.
Lavena Valentino is suspected to be the mother of Zaha’s son. In the teasing attack on social media, it says, ‘Wilfried Zaha’s son looks like he just found out David Moyes is his grandad.’
Fans alleged that Wilfried Zaha’s son was David Moyes’ grandson. That’s not true.
It is an obvious fact that Wilfried Zaha’s son looks remarkably cute. He is grown-up, as seen in the photo below.
Wilfried Zaha Biography Facts – The Scandal:
Zaha was once pictured leaving her hall of residence in Wembley with student Paige Bannister, whose popularity in school got a big boost thanks to her relationship with Zaha.
In fact, Zaha already knows she is dating Wolves defender Kortney Hause who once represented England at the Under-21 level.
When being told, he said..“I don’t care”. Both have spent several weekends in Morocco and Dubai.
Paige has even told Zaha about her relationship with Kortney, and reports indicated he didn’t even bat an eyelid.
A friend of Paige said: “Paige revels in the fact she has high-profile boyfriends. She is definitely in for his monies.
Paige and her boyfriend, Kortney Hause, have been together for a while, but she digs the fact that Zaha is a Premier League player and richer.
Without a doubt, Zaha has fallen for Paige in a big way. He has told her that he will leave his girlfriend for her but it’s difficult at the moment.
The photo below shows Zaha and Paige leaving her school’s hall of residence together. Zaha walks behind Paige for a good reason, which you should know.
When visiting, Zaha usually parks his £110,000 black Mercedes G-Wagon near her student halls of residence in Wembley. Below is Paige as she gets into Zaha’s car after leaving her hall of residence with the footballer.
As well as uploading hot snaps, Paige has severally posted photographs of expensive gifts she has received from Zaha, including a £1,500 pair of trainers, a £3,000 Givenchy clutch bag and another £4,000 Louis Vuitton handbag.
Wilfried Zaha Family:
Starting off, we go straight to his one of his elder brothers, who usually gets headlines for the wrong reasons. Herve Zaha AKA Zeltor is known to be a DSN cultist.
Herve Zaha is known to be a ‘General’ in the gang behind a string of violent crimes in London. He once claimed to be a leader of a notorious south London gang popularity called DSN ‘Don’t Say Nothing’. This gang has been responsible for stabbings, shootings and robberies across south London since 2007.
Using the gang name Zeltor, Herve Zaha once wrote on his Bebo profile page in 2009:
“All u aluminium gangsters covered by other people’s fame, u know who you are; get real. a level has changed.
My team does its job. You don’t wanna see my rage, cos if you do, your body goes to the fridge to freeze”.
His DSN ‘Don’t Say Nothing’ Gang first hit the headlines in 2007 when they were involved in a brutal battle with a rival gang at a shopping centre in Croydon.
The gangs wielded machetes and baseball bats in broad daylight. This left one of Zaha’s childhood friends dead.
Zaha’s childhood friend was killed through gang rivalry.
Herve Zaha AKA Zeltor, once received a 12-month conditional discharge for criminal damage in July 2012 after hurling a paving slab through a car window while a female driver sat at the wheel.
He was ordered to pay £280 in compensation and court costs. Asides from that, he has been arrested and bailed several times.
There is no suggestion at all that Wilfried, his kid brother, has ever been involved with the gang. Wilfried Zaha has done well to stay out of all the gang warfare while growing up.
Wilfried Zaha is very generous to his parents. He once bought a car for his mother and a house for his father.
Ideally, he shares ten per cent of his salary to the welfare of all his loved ones, including charity.
With respect to charity, Zaha constantly settles the needy (at home and abroad) and also pays loyalty to his neighbourhood gangs, who continually demand settlements.
Zaha has helped many of his gang star childhood friends turn a new leaf.
It must have been very difficult for Wilfried Zaha to grow up in a house with eight siblings when he was the youngest. Wilfried Zaha has four brothers and three sisters.
He credits his father’s strict approach to his success. As the last born and baby of the house, he was constantly shielded from joining bad gangs, unlike his big brother, Herve Zaha, who was termed uncontrollable.
In fact, the Crystal Palace stadium (Selhurst Park) located outside his home saved him. Below is an overview of the stadium. Perhaps you could only imagine where Wilfried Zaha’s family home is located.
During his childhood, especially upon approaching England at age 4, his family would wonder what was happening when the floodlights came on for night matches.
Wilfried Zaha Biography Facts – Money Spender:
To start with, he once spent between £6,000 and £10,000 in nightclubs in cash and credit facilities. All informants agreed he gets star treatment for his exploits.
An exclusive spot inside the V.I.P section of the fun spot is said to be on a permanent reservation for Wilfried Zaha and friends and family.
Wilfried Zaha, a big money spender on bar.
Even with this, Wilfried Zaha is not in Balotelli’s neighbourhood when it comes to spending time at bars, but he is learning quickly.
Wilfried Zaha Biography Facts – Gilmore Shorts:
Created by a Harley Street doctor named O J A Gilmore, an expert on groin injuries, the compression garment is “scientifically designed to ensure support for the groin, hamstring and adductor areas.”
You may also notice that it has a distinctive and hilarious design feature that gives fantastic “Pubic Symphysis” (i.e. “wang“) support for the male package.
“I wear the Gilmore Support Shorts to train in daily as part of my essential kit bag – they are exceptional,” Zaha said.
Wilfried Zaha Religion:
Zaha once said his parents had to drag him to church while he was a kid. Ideally, Wilfried Zaha used to hate being made to go to church as a kid, but he’s glad his parents did it because now he prays all the time.
He doesn’t just pray in the bad times when he needs help but also in the good. In his words…
“I pray for everything really,” he said. “I feel that everything happens for a reason and you’ve just got to be mentally strong so I just keep my faith and pray. If I’m going through a bad patch I know it will get better.
The same way you pray during bad times, the same way you should pray during good times as well.
Because obviously during bad times you’re asking God for this and that and when He gives you all these blessings or whatever, you forget to pray as well. So I’ve been praying from about the age of eight, nine.
At that age, my parents used to literally drag me to church whether I wanted it or not. But then it got into a routine where I just prayed all the time and I just carried on.
After being annoyed at being woken up on very early Sunday mornings and having to dress up early and go to church, I just thought: ‘You know what? I’m actually into this. I believe in God.
Disappointed a Fan:
Wilfried Zaha once disappointed this man, Peter Beardsley. Legendary Newcastle striker Peter Beardsley, now a scout for the Geordie side, once made a 600-mile round trip to London to watch Zaha in action against Birmingham. Only for him to discover he had been suspended.
Switching Allegiance:
On November 27, 2016, the Ivorian Football Federation announced that Zaha had officially requested to switch his international allegiance from England to the Ivory Coast. Gareth Southgate, recognizing Zaha’s impressive performances at the club level, expressed his intention to persuade him to stay with England just like he had persuaded Jamaal Musiala. Despite Southgate’s efforts, Zaha ultimately chose to represent the Ivory Coast.
Zaha was included in the Ivory Coast squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. He made his debut in a friendly match against Sweden, coming on as a substitute at halftime and assisting Giovanni Sio’s goal in a 2–1 victory.
Personality:
Crystal Palace Legend is Scorpio, and he shares his zodiac sign, Scorpio, with Axel Tuanzebe and Achraf Hakimi. Zaha has the following attributes to his personality;
Wilfried Zaha’s strengths: He is resourceful, brave, passionate, stubborn and a true friend.
Zaha likes: He likes the truth, facts, being right, longtime friends, teasing and a grand passion.
Wilfried Zaha dislikes: He dislikes dishonesty, revealing secrets and passive people.
Fact Check:
Thank you for reading Wilfried Zaha’s story, a winger who is part of a wave of African footballers, including Victor Osimhen and Noussair Mazraoui, making surprising transfer moves in 2024. We strive for accuracy and fairness while delivering you the Biography of Ivory Coast Footballers. Surely, the Life History of Hamed Traore and Amad Diallo will excite you. If you see something that doesn’t look right in this article, please leave a comment or contact us!
