Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he’s aging like a fine wine, and that he feels he could play all the way into his 50s. The 35-year-old Swede, who is signed on for a second season at Old Trafford, has been United’s leading scorer this season.
The colorful Swede is currently tied for second in the Premier League in goals with 13, and 6th in minutes per goal at one brace per every 141′. He also said he’s conquered England; in just three months.
Yes, Zlatan being Zlatan is always entertaining.
Ibrahimovic told the club’s website: “I’m chasing the head trophy — the Premier League. That is my aim.
“The individual things come as part of the main objective because that is like a bonus for every individual player. If the collective does well, then the individuals will do well.
“I try to help the team and try to do what I’m best at — scoring goals, playing good and creating chances for my team-mates. As long as I can do that, I know I will help my team.”
“The same thing with them, they help me the way they can for the team. I have no individual targets because that I did already, after three months in England. I conquered England — it took three months.”
It’s kind of, okay, it’s a lot, like what Ibrahimovic said recently when the idea of his joining American Major League Soccer was posited. Ibra then said he’d conquer those lands, and made an allusion to Napoleon Bonaparte.
“The older I get, the better I get, like red wine. You like red wine? I’m a perfect example of that,” Ibrahimovic said after scoring both of United’s goals in the 2-0 win at West Bromwich Albion.
“I’m settling in. I feel happy, I feel good. Even if I’m 35, in my mind I’m 20. I think I could play also at 50, but it’s not down to me.”
I don’t know about playing until age 50, but Zlatan certainly does fit in well with all the youth at United. Both Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard have said this season what an inspiration Ibra is to them, and Defender Timoty Fosu-Mensah is reading the Zlatan autobiography “I am Zlatan” on the airplane during team trips this season.
Sweden’s national stadium announced earlier this season that they will erect a statue in Zlatan’s honor after he was named Sweden’s top player for the 11th time. The statue will be situated outside Stockholm’s Friends Arena, where he scored four goals in a single game against England in 2012.
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, Bold and the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication, appears regularly as a guest on CGTN America, WGN CLTV News and KOZN 1620 The Zone.