Speaking to Premier League Productions before Palace’s trip to West Ham on Wednesday evening, Zaha also highlighted the positive effect Eze’s introduction has had on his own game.
“100% [he helps my game]. I’m not having to drop deep and dribble as much. I’ve taken that role of playing up-front now, so I don’t have to dribble as much and I just get into the right positions. So him being a dribbler helps me.”
He revealed the advice he had given Eze as the young winger’s game continues to develop: “I speak to him all the time – the way he plays and his dribbling is like looking at myself when I was younger.
“When we’re on the pitch I always tell him: ‘efficiency. Everything else doesn’t matter. You’re good enough to do these things, you’re good enough to go past players, you’re good enough to dribble past players. All you need is efficiency.’ And it seems like he’s taking it in.”
It’s advice that Zaha has tried to implement more in his own game.
“I’ve just taken a lot of the unnecessary stuff out of my game,” he said. “I don’t dribble as much. If I’ve done a skill and I look up and there’s an opportunity to shoot, I’ll take the shot.
“I’m just very narrow-minded now, it’s like tunnel vision. I know what I have to do when I get out on the pitch and I try to cut out a load of other things.”
Hear Zaha’s thoughts on adjusting to life as a striker and fans at Selhurst Park by watching the full interview here.
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