Crystal Palace can keep Wilfried Zaha, says Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson is confident Crystal Palace can fight off interest in Wilfried Zaha to keep him at the club next season.

Zaha has been the driving force behind Palace's recovery from seven straight losses at the start of the season, to a possible top-half finish.

The Ivory Coast international's career-best return of eight Premier League goals has caught the attention of the division's elite clubs and offers are expected to come in for the 25-year-old.

"He must be very pleased that so many people are mentioning his name," Hodgson said. "You can't do anything about speculation and it always crops up.

"I am quite sanguine about it all, and like the fans and the players, want to keep him, and believe that we will have something quite serious to offer ourselves.

"I don't blame other clubs for coveting him, but I believe he will still be our player next season."

Along with Hodgson's arrival, it was Zaha's return from injury that rejuvenated Palace at the start of the season.

Another slump began in February as Palace failed to win a match while Zaha missed a month's action, but the winger returned and spearheaded his team's surge clear of the relegation zone.

According to Hodgson, there would be no good moment to lose Zaha, who on Wednesday won the Eagles' Player of the Year award for a third successive season.

"I don't want it to happen at all, so there is no good moment to give me where I would be happy," Hodgson said.

"I would be very unhappy to see the day he leaves the club, I hope he will be here long after I am.

"This is his club and he knows how much we and the fans value him."

via Sky Sports