Palace's Zaha becomes first Premier League player not to take knee

Soccer Football - Premier League - Crystal Palace v West Bromwich Albion - Selhurst Park, London, Britain - March 13, 2021 Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha stands as West Bromwich Albion's Matt Phillips kneels in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign before the match Pool via REUTERS/Mike Hewitt EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

(Reuters) - Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha became the first Premier League player not to take a knee in protest against racism when he stayed standing with his hands behind his back before kickoff in Saturday's 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

The Ivory Coast international said last month he would stop taking a knee before matches because he believes the meaning of the gesture, which he called "degrading", has been lost.