Crystal Palace chief Steve Parish jumps to the defence of star player Wilfried Zaha amid diving accusations.
Zaha won a controversial penalty during Crystal Palace's 0-0 draw against Manchester City a few days ago, which saw him accused by many of diving but Parish has defended his star player by calling him a 'genuine kid'.
Parish told Daily Mail: "There's an agenda against Wilfried Zaha. I don't know why or where it comes from, but it is outrageous to accuse him of being a diver. It's total nonsense. I'm not sure some of the pundits pointing the finger at Wilf even know the rules. What are they watching?
"The penalty we were awarded against Manchester City on Sunday was nailed on. Wilf can't carry on running. He can't stay up. He's in front of Sterling who pulls his arm and falls on him. Look at the picture. How is that not a penalty? It's nonsense to claim he dived. If he could have stayed on his feet, he would have done.
"Trust me, Wilf is a genuine kid, a genuine player who just loves to play. He is an extraordinary talent - irreplaceable for us and I can't even begin to put a value on him - and one I hope fans of all clubs enjoy watching. The reason he has won three penalties for us this season is because he's such a good player."
