Zlatan Ibrahimovic took a swipe at a key part of Manchester United’s history after admitting that he wanted to carve out his own legacy at Old Trafford.
The 42-year-old former Manchester United striker left Paris Saint-Germain in 2016 and completed a sensational free transfer to Old Trafford.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was reunited with Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho at United, having previously played under the ‘Special One’ at Serie A club Inter Milan.
The Swedish former forward had a stunning impact in his debut season at Old Trafford, with Ibrahimovic scoring 17 times in 28 Premier League appearances.
Ibrahimovic made 46 appearances across all competitions for United in the 2016-17 season, with the ex-United star scoring 28 times and registering 10 assists.
The former Sweden international missed the tail end of the aforementioned season due to a cruciate ligament injury, including the Europa League final win over Ajax.
Ibrahimovic ended the season at Old Trafford by lifting a Europa League and a League Cup under former United manager Jose Mourinho.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic inked a one-year extension after his debut campaign at Old Trafford, but his second season at the club was curtailed by injuries.
The former PSG and Inter Milan star managed only seven appearances for Manchester United in the 2017-18 season before he signed for LA Galaxy in 2018.
Ibrahimovic has now admitted that he was “not interested in listening” to certain parts of United’s history, specifically the ‘Class of ’92.’
The retired striker insisted that hearing stories about the Class of ’92 or other parts of United’s history wouldn’t help him when he was at the Red Devils.
Ibrahimovic claimed that he wanted his “own history” at United and “wanted” people to point to the club and himself when it came to winning things.
“They were different from what I was used to,” he told The Athletic.
Ibrahimovic added: “You’re just a number there, I felt. Then, in my mindset, I want to make my own history.
“I was not interested in what happened before, with all respect. Yes, that brings pressure to live up to what they were used to.
“But I was not interested in listening to the Class of ’92. That doesn’t help me because it’s not my team [that I support] and I wanted to do my own history.
“I wanted people to say, ‘You won and United won this together.’”
Following his departure from United, Ibrahimovic went on to play for LA Galaxy before returning for a second spell at AC Milan.
Ibrahimovic, who retired from football in 2023, said that his second spell at the San Siro towards the tail end of his career was “about giving” back to younger players.
“When I came the second time, it was more about giving than taking,” he admitted.
“I wanted to open the way for a new generation. You’re the example, saying, ‘Listen, this is how it works.’
“When you’re in Milan, it’s the elite of the elite: pressure, demands, obligations. You have to take responsibility, become a man, because a player is not only about the field, but also the person outside.
“I was the reference point. I didn’t have an ego about it. I was like some kind of…”
