Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a huge ego? REALLY? No way! You’re kidding, right? I thought all humble, grounded people refer to themselves in the third person and pen best-selling autobiographies titled “I am Zlatan.”
All joking aside, Manchester United Manager Jose Mourinho has said that the big mercurial Swede’s healthy sense of self-esteem is great for the club.
Mourinho told MUTV: “With Zlatan, you may see someone with a big ego, big self-esteem, but it is in a positive way. When he is with the group, he is humble and friendly to everyone — integration is good.
“Zlatan is a fantastic player and, immediately in training, we could feel what I call ‘functional empathy’ — people looking to him, him looking to connect with other players. He is an amazing link player, an amazing player. He could be anything on the pitch, not just a goalscorer.”
Zlatan made his debut in his bright new red United shirt on Saturday against Galatasaray in his native Sweden. He began his Old Trafford career with a goal, and it took just four minutes into regulation!
It took Zlatan all of 4 minutes to score his first @ManUtd goal. https://t.co/VodlqQDRPu
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) July 30, 2016
What a beautiful bicycle kick by Ibra!
Striker Marcus Rashford has now seen his place taken by Zlatan, but that’s to be expected. Ibrahimovic is 34, Rashford is just a teenager, so it’s a quasi-case of the present versus the future. First team possibilities aside, Rashford claims that he is happy to see Ibrahimovic at United.
“We can definitely all learn from him while he is here, so we all need to take that chance,” Rashford told Manchester United’s official website. “It’s a massive help to be with him every day and it’s great to see what he is like on and off the pitch.
“There is a lot to learn from him and hopefully I can bring some of his game into mine.”
In reference to his own playing time, Rashford said: “I’m preparing for the new season now. There’s no need to rush into anything. I’m taking my time, taking it steady.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic told MUTV before the game Saturday, in regards to his debut: “Everybody has been waiting for that moment. There has been a lot of talk and to make my debut in my country will feel great. I think the fans are waiting for me to come back and they are waiting to enjoy not only me, but the team as well.”
So there’s that very healthy sense of self-esteem on display once again.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram