Alan Pardew says that England should utilise ‘unique’ Wilfred Zaha at Euro 2016 and has urged Roy Hodgson to give his player a chance in the March friendlies against Germany and Holland.
Pardew was speaking after Crystal Palace’s 1-0 FA cup win over Stoke on Saturday, in which Zaha scored to earn Palace a fifth round tie with Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
Zaha has not appeared for England since coming on as a substitute against Sweden over three years ago and has since fallen down the pecking order.
But Pardew said: “I can’t think of anyone in the England squad who can actually beat someone from a standing start quite like Wilf.”
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Pardew believes that Zaha would add value to the squad, be it off the bench or in the starting XI, arguing that at the top level you need a player who can drift past opponents with possession.
He said: “When you come to the level that they’re going to be playing at the European Championship you do need someone to go past a player. Wilf will take people on and beat people.”
Palace face Bournemouth on Tuesday night having not won in each of their last six Premier League outings.
