New Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee has praised Vincent Kompany’s influence on his career.
The Dutch striker recently joined United in a €42.5m (£35.8/$45.6m) deal from Bologna and is preparing for his first season at Old Trafford.
Zirkzee, who scored 12 goals for Bologna last season, will compete with Rasmus Hojlund for the starting striker spot.
What was Kompany’s key role in the development of Zirkzee?
Reflecting on his career, Zirkzee highlighted the pivotal role Kompany played during his loan spell at Anderlecht in the 2021/22 season. Zirkzee said Mirror:
“Kompany was the coach who explained a lot about the game and the small details to me. That year with him was very important for my development and he also made sure I played all the time.”
Under Kompany, Zirkzee felt he had made significant progress in his game. He admitted that his time at Bayern Munich was different as he was too dispirited to perform at the top level. Zirkzee’s experience at Anderlecht helped him mature and understand what it takes to succeed at the top level. He said:
“At Bayern I wasn’t that player. There I looked up to myself too much. I should have believed in myself more. Back then I thought I was okay, but now I have a different mentality. I thought I was good enough to become Bayern’s first-choice striker straight away, but I wasn’t ready for that at all. It was great to take a step back to find out what it really takes to succeed at the top.”
As Zirkzee prepares for his first season with Manchester United, fans are eager to see how his journey, shaped by Kompany’s mentorship, will unfold at Old Trafford.
