STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s all-time report goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic is getting ready to go the torch to a brand new era of younger gamers corresponding to Anthony Elanga as his facet put together for his or her World Cup playoff semi-final towards the Czech Republic on Thursday.
The 40-year-old striker recalled enjoying with the Manchester United winger’s father Joseph for Malmo FF over 20 years in the past and he’s now sharing a dressing room together with his son.
“First time I met him, we were in the restaurant in the (United) training ground and he came up to me and he said, ‘you know my father’ and I was like, help me now because I don’t know who I’m talking to,” Ibrahimovic mentioned.
“‘You played with my father Elanga’, and then everything clicked and I said ‘okay’, and it made me happy because I wasn’t the only Swedish one in Manchester, we had another Swedish player.”
Ibrahimovic, who scored 17 objectives in 33 Premier League video games throughout an injury-hit spell at United from 2016 to 2018, even allowed Elanga, 19, to take centre stage on the rostrum between himself and Sweden’s group press officer.
“We’re all happy and we’re enjoying the adventure he’s on, he just started and he’s on the way up so it’s good. You will have something to watch for another 20 years,” Ibra added with a smile.
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For Elanga, who has caught the attention together with his performances for United this season, and different younger attacking Swedes like Dejan Kulusevski and Alexander Isak, Ibrahimovic has been an inspiration.
“You can see for the past 20 years what he’s done for the national team, and obviously at the club football level, you can see the way he’s scoring his goals. Even when I was young I used to look up to him, being from Sweden,” Elanga mentioned.
“When I found out that he signed for United, I couldn’t wait to speak to him, ask him about the memories he had with my dad. It means a lot, you know, to be able to see him day-in, day-out here, train with him – it’s an honour.”
Sweden tackle the Czech Republic of their World Cup playoff semi on the Friends Arena in Stockholm, a sport Ibrahimovic will miss resulting from suspension.
The winners will face Poland subsequent week for a spot within the World Cup finals in Qatar which begin in November.
