Former Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, currently on loan in the MLS from Galatasaray, becomes a director in Danny Kedwell’s training centre in Gravesend

Former Premier League star Wilfried Zaha has become a director in Danny Kedwell’s training centre in Gravesend.

The ex-Crystal Palace man has big ideas for the business which was founded by Kedwell and business partner Nathan Bullas when they took over the old Fleet Leisure site.

Kedbull Leisure has been renamed Profound Leisure and Zaha, currently on loan at MLS club Charlotte from Turkish giants Galatasaray, wants to build more training centres to give youngsters somewhere to play.

Zaha, 32, is a part-owner in Croydon Athletic, the Isthmian South East club managed by former Gillingham striker Kedwell.

“It got about how good the facility is, and how nice it is, and Wilf showed an interest because he’s really community-driven,” said Kedwell.

“He’s done a few things for the community and, having a chat with him, he’s really big on that.

“He’s easy to talk to, his ideas are brilliant and it’s all about the kids and people being able to play football.

“He doesn’t want just one centre, he wants to build five or six of them, because we didn’t have that growing up.

“To be honest, I think where I could have been if I’d had those facilities as a kid.

“Sometimes you start a business and you need something to next it to the next step.

“With Wilf coming on board, it pushes it on for the community and for everything.

“You want to give back and that was the whole reason why I did it in the first place because when I took over Ebbsfleet’s academy, we were paying out of this world for facility hire, just to give them somewhere to play.

“I came up with the idea to try and get our own training ground. It’s grassroots but it’s like an academy venue.”

The training ground boasts three artificial pitches while two new grass pitches are