Wilfried Zaha had a point to prove when he stepped out at St James’ Park on February 25th, 2010.
It was a bitterly cold north-eastern night and Zaha, just 17-years-old, was on the cusp of a game that would shape his career forever.
The teamsheet for that evening didn’t even spell his name right - the second ‘i’ in Wilfried stumping its author - but the teenage No.9 was beginning 90 minutes of football that would turn him from an overlooked hopeful to a world-renowned icon.
The month before, he’d struggled to secure a place on the wings of a competitive Under-18 team.