Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a legendary figure in the world of football, has identified a former elite player from the Premier League as the individual who had the greatest influence on his illustrious career.
Despite the fact that many people do not believe his assertions that he is the greatest player of all time, it is indisputable that Ibrahimovic has had a career that is both extremely impressive and extremely successful.
As a result of his time spent playing for teams such as Manchester United, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain, the Swede has amassed an impressive total of 57 trophies and individual awards.
Even though it is highly likely that he gives the majority of the credit for all of his accomplishments to himself, the legendary football player has singled out one player in particular as someone who had a significant influence on his career.
When Ibrahimovic’s career was still in its early stages, he was able to secure a transfer from the Dutch giants Ajax to Juventus. It was there that he met Patrick Viera, who had joined the Italian club a year after leaving Arsenal.
After revealing that Viera was quick to let his new teammate know what he thought about him and his talents on the pitch, Ibrahimovic revealed that this helped him improve his game. This was despite the fact that the striker had been with the club for one year longer than the other player.
The statement was made by Ibrahimovic to L’Equipe in 2018, as reported by Football Italia. “When I met him at Juventus, he had a really different mentality from the other players I’d known,” Ibrahimovic expressed.
“He was always on my back, and although I believed that I was doing things correctly, it was never an adequate response. The lesson he taught me was that you need to want more and give more.
“He instilled in me the idea that we should play while we are exercising. The way it works is that if you train well, you will definitely play well. It is not necessary for me to make you aware of the player and the professional that he was.
Following their time spent playing together at Juventus during the 2005-2006 season, both players moved to Inter Milan, a rival team in Serie A, the following year, following the Calciopoli scandal. They continued to play together for a total of three more years.
I am grateful that I had the opportunity to know both the player and the person. He was a phenomenal player who will live on in history. He exerted a significant influence on my performance by always encouraging me to give my utmost effort in each and every game,” Ibrahimovic continued.
Because of his experience, his maturity, and the way he assists other people, I am not surprised that he became a coach. He already possessed all of those qualities.
In addition, he was always available to talk. Not only did he assist me, but he also assisted a great number of other players. At that time, there were a number of big stars at Juventus, and in order to please them, you had to give a lot; you did not receive anything freely.
