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‘Lions don’t recover like humans’, says Zlatan Ibrahimovic on his injury return
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had been sidelined for seven months with a cruciate knee ligament injury, was brought on for Antony Martial in the second half of Manchester United’s 4-1 win over Newcastle United in the Premier League
Zlatan Ibrahimovic compared himself to a lion on his Manchester United return against Newcastle United on Saturday.
The Swedish striker had previously stated that “lions do not compare themselves to humans” when asked to compare himself against other strikers in England in an interview with BT Sport.
Ibrahimovic, who had been sidelined for seven months with a cruciate knee ligament injury, was brought on for Antony Martial in the final quarter.
Although Ibrahimovic did not manage to get his name on the score sheet in United’s 4-1 win, his comeback itself is worth celebrating. Expected to miss out on the action for nine months or more, Ibra made his comeback in seven.
When asked whether he ever doubted making a return, the 36-year old said: “No, because lions, they don’t recover like humans.”
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“It’s special. Different day, same quality. I am not worried. I am not worried at all because I know what I do. I train hard. I sacrificed a lot,” Ibrahimovic added.
He also went on to attribute his positive state of mind as the biggest factor in his swift recovery. “It’s my head that is playing, my knees just need to follow,” said the Swede.
“It is not easy, especially in my case. It was not like I went on vacation. I had a different summer because I was without a contract. As soon as I signed, I wanted to focus on the team. I wanted to give something to help the team as best as possible,” said Ibrahimovic, who has signed a one-year contract extension with United in August.
“It’s about coming back and making a statement. I have been training a lot and I am just thankful I can play football again. I push myself every time I put my football shoes on,” ended Ibrahimovic, before being requested to present the Man of the Match award to Paul Pogba, who also made his return on Saturday.
