Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he was inspired to sign for Manchester United after being warned against the move.
Sweden football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he was intrigued by the challenge of signing for Manchester United in 2016, after being advised it could harm his career.
Zlatan signed for United under Jose Mourinho and enjoyed a strong first season, winning two trophies plus the Community Shield.
He scored 28 goals before his season was ended by an ACL injury, and he looks back on his spell at Old Trafford with pride.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Manchester United
Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his retirement from football earlier this year at 41, after another stint with AC Milan.
He has been speaking to a live audience in Italy, reported by TMW, explaining his motivation to sign for Manchester United.
He says that other players tried to deter him from the move, which only increased his appetite to sign at Old Trafford.
Zlatan explained: “At 35 there was the possibility of Manchester United where Mourinho arrived. But I was 35 and I asked many players if it was right to go to the Premier League at that age.
“I spoke to five players and everyone told me not to go because if I did badly they would all forget what I had done previously.
“So I made the decision: I’m going. It was my situation. The others walk on water, I walk on fire. These are the situations and the challenges that charge me.”
That’s an all-time Zlatan quote right there. He added that he was proud of the way he quickly proved himself in the Premier League, adding: “In England they criticised me, after two months they were all on my side.”
Manchester United signed Zlatan too late
While Zlatan went on to extend his career after leaving Manchester United, retiring a full six years later, his time at the club was far too brief.
United could have done with signing the Swede five years earlier, when he was at Paris Saint-Germain.
Finding players with the same skillset, motivation and personality as Zlatan is not easy, perhaps impossible, but the striker does highlight one thing the team need to get away from – signing expensive veterans.
While Zlatan’s spell at the club was a success, it was a quick-fix, when long-term solutions were required, and we have seen a few less impressive imitations since too.
