Former Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer has compared Eagles winger Wilfried Zaha to five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.
The Ivory Coast international is widely regarded as Palace’s talisman and most important player, and has started the new season in fine form, scoring three goals in six games.
This, as well as his form over the past couple of years at Selhurst Park, has earned Zaha widespread plaudits, as well as links to a move away from the club.
And De Boer, who briefly managed the 25-year-old at the start of last season, has become the latest to throw his praise into the mix.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football’s coverage of Palace’s 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth (via Goal), De Boer compared Zaha’s dribbling skills to that of Messi.
The 48-year-old said: “What he (Zaha) has is a half step, you think as a defender you’re going to touch the ball but he’s so quick with it, he can make a half step, that he touches it with his other leg and you think you have the ball and you kick him.
“(He is) like Messi, always every pass or every step he can touch the ball, right foot or left foot, Zaha has that same quality, every step he can touch the ball and then you get a lot of kicks.
“One against one he’s unbelievable, so quick in the first ten metres, inside, outside. A good Zaha is almost unstoppable in my opinion.”
Palace’s next game is at home to Wolves on Saturday.
Is Zaha really in Messi’s league?
While Zaha’s talent and importance to Crystal Palace is undoubted, for De Boer to compare him to one of the greatest players of all time seems a little over the top.
Despite Zaha having a better shot conversion rate (23.1%) to Messi (16.1%), the Argentine outstrips him in every other department.
Messi has created an average of 3.43 chances from open play per 90 minutes this season, compared to Zaha’s 1.12.
Furthermore, in the area that De Boer directly compared the two, Messi has completed 4.03 take-ons per 90 this season, compared to Zaha’s 2.61.
The post Former Crystal Palace manager de Boer compares Zaha to Messi appeared first on Squawka News.
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