Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been totally pleased with the development of Victor Lindelof and revealed how he told the defender that he needed to put his down and prove himself to ensure he did well at Manchester United.
His words, “I think he had a difficult time in the beginning, but I think that is typical Swedish. When you come somewhere, you are friendly to everybody.
“You play, you don’t play, you still feel in friendly situation.
“I explained to him, ‘listen, all these players are conquerors. You’re here to survive. You’re not here to be friendly to everybody so you need to perform’.
“‘If you don’t perform, the club has no problems with selling [you], that’s the way it is’.
“And I think he’s been doing good lately. He’s playing much more after a first year of struggling.”
“I think he has more confidence when he plays.
“Hopefully he can continue and be strong mentally because I don’t think it’s about the quality, it’s more in the head.
“I’ve always said 50 per cent is in your head. It doesn’t matter how good you are, if you can’t make it mentally, you will not survive.”
With Lindelof proving that he can flourish under the brightest of spotlights at club level, Ibrahimovic is hoping that experience will aid the cause of the Sweden national side.
“From the national team, he is the only one playing for a big club, so he gets to feel what it’s all about,” said a man now plying his trade in MLS with the LA Galaxy.
“That is what I’ve been through for 20 years. Not ‘normal’ clubs.
“It’s not an easy world but now he gets to feel it.
“Hopefully, he can continue to focus and train like he does because he trains really good and he is professional.”
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate