What a pro.
A free agent with an injury, Zlatan Ibrahimovic could so easily have spent his summer months relaxing with the full knowledge that he’d be snapped up by some club or other.
But, despite being released by Manchester United last month, the Swedish powerhouse has not only dedicated his time to rehabilitating his knee after suffering significant ligament damage in April but he’s actively working with the United squad.
Ibrahimovic does not have a contract with the club but he’s been more than happy to impart his wisdom on the younger players at United, according to an update from Paul Pogba on Tuesday.
“Obviously Zlatan is a leader, always a big leader,” Pogba said, via Manchester Evening News. “And he’s still a big leader because he’s still in the team, even he’s not playing he’s a leader outside of the pitch.
“I’ve been playing for one season, I came here to hopefully be a leader as well in the team and that’s not, like the objective, but that’s how you should be.
“I’ve been here, we won, and we want to grow up as a player and a leader as well. I can learn from him [Ibrahimovic], from Carras, from all the players and become a leader.”
It remains a possibility that Ibrahimovic could re-sign with the Red Devils when his recovery, which is reportedly ahead of schedule, is complete.
“It’s possible, it’s open,” manager Jose Mourinho said last week.
“We want him to be honest and open and let everything be there for him to make a decision in case his desire was to leave, so there was not a new contract.
Zlatan's United days might not be done after all https://t.co/zVH26XySf7
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) July 13, 2017
“There was a space and time for everyone to think, to feel, to decide and, from his point of view, he made the decision to still want to play football at the highest level.
“It would be easy for him to hide behind such an amazing injury and say it’s time to play at a different level. But he made the challenge for him to continue at the highest level.
“We opened our door for him to recover with us and then to make a decision.
“We are speaking, we are exchanging ideas, but the most important thing is what is best for the player.”
