Following United’s fashionably late victory against arch rivals Liverpool, Joshua Zirkzee was able to provide fans with a potential clue to the forward’s future following rumoured frustrations.
Since the beginning of Manchester United’s campaign in August to now, Joshua Zirkzee has found himself struggling to force himself into real contention for a starting spot in Rúben Amorim’s side, with the forward only accumulating 82 minutes on the pitch so far.
Following the departure of United number nine, Rasmus Højlund, to Napoli in the summer, Zirkzee could have perhaps expected more opportunities in the starting eleven.
However, following the arrival of new United striker Benjamin Šeško in the summer, Amorim has favoured the use of the young Slovenian, and has begun to be repaid, with the 22-year-old scoring his first goal in United’s away defeat at Brentford, and striking once again the following week at home against Sunderland.
With the recent form of Šeško and the expectation of the forward to play due to his £74 million price tag, finding a starting spot for the Dutch forward in this current United setup has seemingly become harder than ever, leading to rumours of uncertainty surrounding the Dutchman’s future at United.
However, the player’s reaction to United’s late victory at Anfield has given fans an insight into not only the player’s character and personality, but perhaps a hint at his future as well.
Zirkzee fired up with Anfield celebrations
United fans online were swift to notice and comment on the animated celebrations of Joshua Zirkzee following United’s 2-1 win at Anfield on Sunday.
A video circulating on social media showed an elated Zirkzee embracing his teammates on the pitch as they made their way over to applaud a raucous Anfield away end.
Despite not even making it onto the pitch himself, the 24-year-old appeared just as exhilarated as anyone in the away end, let alone on the pitch.
United fans can hopefully interpret this as not only a brilliant reaction to the result that they have had to wait so patiently for, following a nine-year wait since the Reds’ last victory at Anfield in 2016, but as a sign of commitment to the forward’s future at United.
This comes following a story from Goal, of the Netherlands international reportedly feeling frustrated with the lack of playing time he has had at United and talk of a potential exit as soon as January.
What lies ahead for Zirkzee?
Despite the Dutchman’s celebrations on the Anfield turf, Zirkzee’s future at United is still far from certain, with there still being rumors circulating of a potential exit in the near future, with West Ham being mentioned as potential suitors according to reports from Tribal Football.
Ruben Amorim himself weighed in on the player’s future at Manchester United, as well as the future of Kobbie Mainoo, who has struggled for minutes so far this season.
Read More: Rúben Amorim praises “perfect” Man Utd star vs Liverpool, he left one defender a “nervous wreck”
“Zirkzee and Mainoo are our players. We need everyone to have a good season”. “Some players are not playing, there’s noise, news… some want to play. Like you said, there’s a World Cup. There are agents that listen to the players talking all the time”.
These quotes can be seen as encouraging from Amorim, as he still highlights Zirkzee as a player he needs and requires performances out of.
However, Amorim’s decision on the Dutch forward’s position in the starting eleven and his future at Man United will ultimately come down to the players’ performances on the pitch, and if he continues not to impress the head coach, his future at United may end up in jeopardy.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.