Crystal Palace star Wilfired Zaha’s amazing gesture for NHS staff leading the fight against coronavirus

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has become he latest footballer to offer support to NHS staff helping to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

The London-born ace has offered to open up 50 properties in the capital to healthcare workers who are battling the virus – free of charge.

Zaha is the co-owner of ZoProperties, which has a portfolio of rental accommodation usually offered to business travellers, with properties in Notting Hill, Shoreditch and Aldgate.

But the £130,000-a-week star is now offering free use of those properties to paramedics and other NHS workers in central London hospitals helping to fight COVID-19, with many looking for alternative accommodation to help limit the spread of the virus to friends and family.

Zaha is the latest big name in football to extend a helping hand to heathcare staff, following kind gestures from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville, who have opened up hotels in London and Manchester to local NHS staff.

This week, Gary Neville called on top-earning footballers to make significant donations in a collective effort against the virus.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has also encouraged other players to donate some of their wealth to the cause, having launched a €1million fundraiser – pledging €100,000 himself – proclaiming in true Zlatan style: ‘If the virus don’t go to Zlatan, Zlatan goes to the virus!’

Meanwhile, Paul Pogba has teamed up with Unicef to help support to global fight.

With a host of London businesses being instructed to have staff work from home, and travel restricted around the globe, Zaha’s properties in the capital would likely have stayed empty during the coronavirus crisis, so the Palace ace has offered the one, two and three bedrooms flats to NHS staf who cannot travel home after shifts and need to stay near the hospital.

“If you do good, good will come to you,” Zaha said.

“It is clear that my intentions are that all I want to do is help at every opportunity, especially in the crazy period we are going through. Health workers please reach out. We have already had feedback — this is exactly what we wanted to achieve.”

NHS staff interested in Zaha’s initiative should email Obi Williams at obi@zoproperties.com