Joshua Zirkzee strolled into the mixed zone and towered over a handful of journalists.
Zirkzee had just scored on his debut for Manchester United, a late matchwinner on the opening day of the season, but produced just a few words to describe how it made him feel.
“A great feeling, a great feeling, it couldn’t be any better,” he said. Zirkzee was incredibly laidback in his first interview with club media last month and was equally relaxed when speaking to reporters, despite having scored the winner at Old Trafford around an hour previously.
“What can I say? Debut, winning, scoring in front of the Stretford End, so yeah, it’s unbelievable,” Zirkzee added. Most players would still be riding the crest of the wave when speaking in the mixed zone after scoring on their debut but it was as if the 23-year-old had just played in a park.
Some may interpret Zirkzee doesn’t care because of his laidback nature but it’s part of his charm – there won’t be an occasion that fazes him and that will help at the world’s biggest club.
United are the most scrutinised team in the world and Zirkzee looks tailor-made to deal with the pressure, simply because he chooses not to feel it. “Where does this moment rank? Somewhere between my debuts and it’s a bit below winning the Champions League with Bayern and my national team debut, but it’s up there,” he said with an endearing grin on his face.
So is he a natural goalscorer? “I’m not going to talk about myself like that, but it was a good touch today, so hopefully more of that,” said Zirkzee. “Not really [doesn’t come naturally], it’s something you really have to work for and my role is probably what works best for the team.
Zirkzee became the sixth Dutchman to score on his Old Trafford debut for United after Jordi Cruyff, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek.
The goal extended United’s opening day record in the Premier League – they have won more opening games than any other team – and also provided Zirkzee with ‘relief’.
United paid €42.5million (£35.8m) to sign Zirkzee from Bologna this summer and he made the best possible start to vindicating that investment by scoring the winner against Fulham.
Zirkzee is being coached by Ruud van Nistelrooy at Carrington and he described the opportunity to work with the legendary former striker as a privilege. “Yeah, it’s a privilege to have someone like that. As a striker, it’s not every day you have someone that you grew up watching,” he said.
“That’s pretty much it, but everybody in the staff up to now has been great and I enjoy working with these people a lot. It’s not just him, but obviously it’s an extra privilege.”
Van Nistelrooy is a familiar face to Zirkzee, given he idolised him as a child, but he has established friendships with United’s latest signings, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
