• 4 months ago
Joshua Zirkzee unveiling after joining Manchester Utd

17/07/2024

Old trafford stadium and Carrington training centre, manchester, England
Transcript
00:00Good, Josh, you good to go?
00:10Good to go.
00:15So a month ago today you were in Disneyland, now you're a full international Manchester United player. Life moves quick, doesn't it?
00:23Yeah, it's been a rollercoaster the past few weeks. Some very good experiences and I'm very happy to be here.
00:36Obviously last season you had a great season with Bologna, you won the award for the best young player in Serie A. Where do you feel you're at in your career right now?
00:44Obviously at a good point. Making a transfer to Manchester United is obviously something very positive. Can't wait to get started and continue what I basically did last season, just hoping to improve every day and do the best I can.
01:05For any of our supporters who haven't seen you play before, how would you describe yourself as a player?
01:10Creative player, good with the ball, a bit unpredictable at times. Those are the perfect words for me.
01:16Do you like to entertain?
01:18It's best to entertain with the whole team, not necessarily as an individual. You have to make the fans who come to the stadium happy as well about the game.
01:27You've got sharp movement, you're comfortable under pressure, you've got good deception in confined spaces. Are all those qualities things that you picked up in the Cruyff cages?
01:36As a young boy growing up, playing mostly with tougher, bigger guys who are older than you makes you adapt. I think it's something that you learn at a young age in Holland, especially where I'm from, this was the case.
01:51Going back to when you were a kid, who were your football heroes?
01:54Ronaldinho was for sure my hero. As I grew older, Ibrahimovic as well was someone I really looked up to, but I think Ronaldinho was my favourite.
02:08We read that you used to get in trouble with your mum because you were out playing all the time. It turned out okay, didn't it? How proud are they of you?
02:16I hope she forgives me now for all the times I came home late or if I broke something in the backyard or even just at home. Eventually, it all worked out pretty well.
02:31That was just life back when I was younger. Play football, forget about the time and getting back home late. It turned out pretty well.
02:46It's brought you here. You're going to be working under the management of Eric ten Haag. How excited are you for that?
02:53It's an extra privilege, of course, because he's Dutch. I'm Dutch as well. Besides that, it's obviously not the only reason why I came here. Manchester United is a huge club.
03:06Of course, he's not the only Dutchman on the coaching team. We've got Ruud and Rennie who have both joined this week. Do you think that will help with your adaptation?
03:16Yes, having some Dutch people around obviously makes it a bit easier. To be fair, I'm an easy-going person. I'm not too difficult with adapting, but it's always nice to have them around.
03:28How familiar are you with Ruud's game? I think you would have been 11 when he retired?
03:33Yes, obviously. When I was younger, watching the Dutch national team, Manchester United, he was one of the guys who you were pretending to be when you were playing out with your friends.
03:48Having him now here is obviously a bit special, but it's great. It's good.

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