Crystal Palace boss Ian Holloway admits he feared agents would wreck Wilfried Zaha's move to Manchester United last week.

Ollie wrote in the Sunday Mirror: " The deal agreed between Palace and United for ­Wilfried Zaha is one where all three parties win.

"We receive a fee for a ­player who came through the ranks at Selhurst Park to win an ­England cap and we also get to keep him for the rest of the season to boost our promotion dream.

"United have bought a player who is as good as anyone I have ever worked with in my entire career as player or manager.

"And Wilfried will be joining arguably the biggest football club in the world and will be working under a manager who is a genius at improving footballers.

"But it has been a protracted process.

"At one point, I thought the deal would not be done - thanks to the input of a number of agents who tried to turn the ­player's head with ridiculous promises.

"One agent, in particular, acted absolutely disgracefully and although I won't give him the oxygen of publicity by naming him in my column, I will tell him exactly what I think of him the next time our paths cross.

"There isn't an agent in the world who can guarantee a footballer a move to ­Manchester United.

"Only the player himself can earn himself that kind of transfer - by playing so well that a manager like Sir Alex Ferguson feels compelled to sign him.

"So why on earth should an agent earn a vast amount of money when he has nothing to do with the player's ­development or either football club?

"The answer, in short, is that they shouldn't.

"It got to a stage when I was worried that Sir Alex would end his ­interest in Wilfried, such was the skullduggery of certain people who had nothing to do with Palace or United.

"So I decided to call the great man himself and assure him that Wilfried has all the physical and mental attributes to be a great success at Old Trafford.

"Whether my words to Sir Alex helped, I don't know.

"But earlier this season, I vowed to always do what I could to help one of my ­players to better himself. Even if that meant losing him."