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Joshua Orobosa Zirkzee will get a first taste of competitive football in England when he lines up for Manchester United to face Manchester City in the FA Community Shield, set for the afternoon of Saturday 10 August at Wembley Stadium in London.
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Zirkzee, who was born in the Netherlands to a Nigerian mother and Dutch father, started his football journey with VV Hekelingen, before going on to feature in the youth systems of Spaartan 20, ADO Den Haag, Feyenoord and Bayern Munich.
And it was with the Germany heavyweights that Zirkzee got his first taste of senior professional football, debuting in a UEFA Champions League match against Tottenham Hotspur in December 2019.
The 1.93m-tall forward went on to have loan spells at Parma (Italy) and Anderlecht (Belgium), before signing for Serie A side Bologna in August 2022. In two full seasons at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Zirkzee made 58 appearances across all competitions, registering 14 goals and nine assists.
Those numbers may not be especially impressive, but they fail to capture the 23-year-old’s unique versatility: he can play as a centre-forward, second striker, attacking midfielder or winger – and brings a powerful physicality and energy that should make him a perfect fit for the Premier League.
Zirkzee’s former teammate at Bologna, Sam Beukema, believes the new Red Devils player has so many impressive facets to his game.
“I miss him a lot,” Beukema explained. “He is a friend of mine. I spoke to him during the holidays. I am happy for him that he is going to Manchester. He is an extraordinary striker. For me, the best [in Serie A] last year.
“I fought with him in every training session. Obviously, I faced strong strikers like [Dusan] Vlahovic, [Olivier] Giroud and [Victor] Osimhen, but he [Zirkzee] has everything. The conditions are there for him to do well in a big team and I am sure he will succeed.”
Zirkzee’s former manager at Bologna, Thiago Motta (who has taken up the reins at Juventus), also believes that the Dutch international is a singularly unique player: “He said his idols are Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gabriel Batistuta, who are two excellent players.
“But, seeing him day-to-day, he reminds me of the Ronaldinho I played with at Barcelona, But I cannot compare him to anyone. He is just Joshua, and he is special.”
Joshua Zirkzee – Manchester United
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Catch Joshua Zirkzee in action in the following match on DStv:
FA Community Shield broadcast details
Saturday 10 August
16:00 (CAT): Manchester United v Manchester City – LIVE on Football Plus
