It should have been the end.
Strikers are supposed to finish their careers at the top level when they’re about 32-years-old or something like that.
Most of them fall off a cliff quickly, the body just doesn’t work the way it used to. The muscles ache that bit more, the legs don’t move as fast as they used to.
Recovery is hard, that’s just how it goes.
So, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic went down against Anderlecht that seemed to be it, it was a miracle at that age he was still playing for a top team like Manchester United let alone come back from injury.
After his injury, Zlatan said:
“First of all, thank you for all the support and love.
Its no news I got injured so I will be out of football for a while.
I will go through this like everything else and come back even stronger. So far I played with one leg so it shouldn’t be any problem. One thing is for sure, I decide when its time to stop and nothing else. Giving up is not an option. See you soon”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTPmFBWgkDG/?hl=en&taken-by=iamzlatanibrahimovic
And then he rejoined Manchester United and on 18 November Zlatan Ibrahimovic came back to playing action.
A supporter of Ibrahimovic or Manchester United or not it is still great to see him return but what the Swede did on his return is remarkable.
He's back! #Zlatan #MUNNEW pic.twitter.com/DTRvCK36JQ
— eir Sport (@eirSport) November 18, 2017
No, Zlatan didn’t score. It wasn’t a fairytale but one Tweet summed it up.
You're 36 years old, you've just had a serious knee injury, you've made it back in record time and your first attempt on goal is you lying sideways in the air performing a martial arts styled kick. The guy might actually be right when he says he's not human. Dare to Zlatan.
— Jonas Adnan Giæver (@CheGiaevara) November 18, 2017
Speaking after the game, the 36-year-old told BT Sport that “Lions don’t recover like humans”
“It’s not easy, especially in my case because I was on top, I got injured and from one day to another day I could not do anything more so it was not like I went on vacation or that so it was not easy.
“Then I had a different summer compared to the other ones because I did not have a contract even if I was not worried but as soon as I signed you start to focus on the team and you want to participate every day and every game especially with my mentality I want to be there to give something to give something and help the team as best as possible but when you are not there you cannot do it and you just have to keep your mind in focus on one objective and that is to come back but not only to come back but to come back good.
“It’s not about coming back it’s about coming back and making a statement, I’ve been training a lot and training hard and I’m here today
“I’m just thankful that I can play football again, I push it every time I put football shoes on me and just walk out on the field that is what I’m thinking about now but when this is over we go further.”
