Joshua Zirkzee sent strong message by Manchester United legend following playstyle admission

Former Manchester United striker and legend Andy Cole has sent Joshua Zirkzee a strong message ahead of the player’s first season at Old Trafford.

Joshua Zirkzee, who signed from Bologna for around £36 million, became Manchester United‘s first signing since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner of the Old Trafford club.

He will join Erik ten Hag‘s squad as a new striker, providing competition for Rasmus Højlund and also adding to the depth of young attacking talent at the club alongside Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo, and others.

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However, while many thought that Zirkzee might be slowly filtered into the team as the season kicked off due to his lack of a proper pre-season, he may be thrown straight into the deep end after Højlund sustained a hamstring injury against Arsenal last month.

Although Jadon Sancho has been occupying the striker position since the Dane’s injury, Zirkzee is now training with his teammates for the first time and could be thrust into the starting XI within the next few weeks.

Andy Cole, former United striker and club legend, has strongly told Zirkzee that regardless of his playstyle, he must maximise the chance he will get at striker due to Højlund’s injury.

“When a player is injured, it gives another an opportunity, and it all depends on whether they can take their chance,” Cole told BetFred. “Zirkzee has to go in there and take his chance.

“Naturally, there’s going to be two players vying for that position and they’re two young players that are ultimately learning about the Premier League. Zirkzee is brand new to it, but Rasmus is still learning about it too.

“I’m hoping that they can both help each other and they’ve got a very good coach in Ruud [van Nistelrooy] that can help them along the way as well.”

This comes after Joshua Zirkzee admitted that his playing style is not that of a typical striker – he described himself as more of a “9.5” rather than a No. 9 or No. 10. He has been likened to Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema.

“I want to play a pure game,” he said. “Nutmegs, chops and back heels are moments that belong in football. That style has value for me. It’s the soccer kid in me because it’s supposed to be fun, too, isn’t it?

“You have to pick the right moments. It’s intuition. I think I have excellent skills. I spent a lot of time on that as a kid. But if I lose the ball, I want to regain it immediately with the team. But the fancy footwork is part of my game at the end of the day.

“I occasionally drop down to midfield. I don’t do that for myself but to help the team. I am what I call a false striker. Not a No 9, not a No 10. I am a 9.5! That’s my game. Maybe I’m a little different than others. But being different is good, right?”

Zirkzee has been handed the club’s No. 11 shirt for the upcoming season and is expected to play his first minutes as a United forward when they face Manchester City in the 2024 Community Shield on Saturday afternoon.

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