It is generally believed in contemporary soccer that if any player has crossed thirty five years, his days in professional soccer are numbered and it holds more specifically true in club soccer where expectations are much higher than international competitions. Manchester United’s 35-year-old Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one such player who has recently been in the limelight for his 11th Swedish Player of the Year award on Monday and six goals in 11 Premier League matches this season, and since ManU show in the season has been like a disaster, it is being taken as the noteworthy contribution from a thirty five year old player despite having many world class young players in the side including Pogba who recently become the priciest player for the Red Devils. At this time, it is obvious Ibrahimovic would get support from his colleagues who have played with him in the past and former English captain David Beckham is one such player who has openly applauded the contribution made by Swiss player in United side.
Actually, Beckham has had been with the 35 year old in the field when they both used to play for Paris Saint-Germain hence he knows him personally and if he is praising someone for his class, it should mean a lot. Anyways, on receiving his eleventh Swedish Player of the Year award, Ibrahimovic said, “It feels unreal. Many are thinking ‘Why him?’ and so on, but after all the hard work over 15 years in the national team and 20 years in my club career, it feels like it’s being appreciated. You usually get this after you die, but I still feel alive. When I die, this will live on forever.”
Likewise, Beckham also hailed the high profile striker and said in a video recording, “His physique, his passion, his love for the game, hasn’t changed. He’s still one of the greatest players that has ever played the game — one of the reasons why I’m happy he is now playing at Manchester United, my team. Thanks for that, Zlatan. For me, Zlatan is a player who has class, always wants to win, and he proved that when I moved to PSG. He was one of those players that it doesn’t matter whether we were playing an important match in the French league, or on the training field, he wanted to win.”
“If he wasn’t winning, he was like one of my children. He would get upset, he would get angry, he would lose it. Not that my kids lose it, but Zlatan does. For me he is a winner.”
David Beckham: Photo Works / Shutterstock.com