Joshua Zirkzee delivers the perfect message in Netherlands interview – a big tick for Man Utd striker

Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee has delivered the perfect message in a post-match interview after scoring his first goal for the Netherlands.

Zirkzee, 23, has had a successful international break so far with the Netherlands. He netted his first goal in his full debut on the weekend.

The Dutch won 5-2 against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Zirkzee provided an assist as well as scoring. United’s new striker looked sharp and created four chances for his teammates in front of goal.

This follows on from a mixed start at Old Trafford for the former Bologna forward, who scored a winner against Fulham on his debut but then underwhelmed in the following games.

While the 23-year-old will need time to adapt to the Premier League, a strong international break may well also help him go back into club football with some confidence.

Zirkzee’s comments after scoring for the Netherlands

Speaking to UEFA after the victory, Zirkzee explained how proud he is to have scored his first goal for his country.

The striker said: “Yes, very proud, a proud moment. My family was here, my grandparents came to watch me for the first time in a very long time, so it was a great day for all of us.”

Discussing the game and his performance more, Zirkzee downplayed his impact and suggested that he made mistakes and that the team could have been more clinical despite scoring five.

“Obviously, Bosnia-Herzegovina defended in their own half, and it was up to us to look for combinations and to find each other, and we could have been even more clinical today even though we did a great job. So overall I think it was OK,” he added.

Speaking to reporters, he also said: “It went OK. I feel like I made a couple of mistakes. I could have another assist for Reijnders. We had a good ‘click’ during the game.”

Zirkzee displaying the right mentality

It is a good sign that Zirkzee is not satisfied with a pretty solid performance. He will undoubtedly need to be even better for United in the Premier League, and he’s looking to make those improvements.

One positive for the Dutchman so far is that he seems to consistently be getting into goalscoring positions this term, and that was one concern shared when he claimed that he was more of a ‘9.5’ player.

While the club will be eager to get Rasmus Højlund back on the pitch after the international break, Zirkzee is showing good signs on and off the pitch that he can be a solid addition to the club.

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