Published By: Ritayan Basu
Last Updated: March 21, 2023, 20:55 IST
Sweden soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Twitter)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic mentioned he hoped to play in Euros subsequent 12 months regardless of his age, as his Swedish squad ready for its first qualifier towards Belgium
Sweden welcomed again Zlatan Ibrahimovic from a knee harm on Tuesday forward of their opening European Championship qualifier, with the document worldwide goal-scorer cheekily declaring himself the previous, current and way forward for the facet.
The 41-year-old just lately returned from a 14-month harm layoff and scored a penalty for AC Milan towards Udinese to develop into the oldest participant ever to attain in Italy’s Serie A. He is now setting his sights on the opening Euro qualifier with Belgium on Friday in Stockholm.
Asked whether or not he supposed to take his facet all the way in which to the finals in Germany subsequent 12 months, Ibra gave a tongue-in-cheek response paying homage to his extra bombastic youthful self.
“If I really feel good and I’m chosen by the coach, I’ll assist him, the group and the nation to do my greatest. So I believe at my age you can not assume future, you assume current – even when I’m the previous, current and the longer term,” he mentioned with a wry smile.
The striker, who is Sweden’s top scorer with 62 goals in 121 games but without an international goal since November 2015, revealed that he had undergone three knee operations in the last 14 months.
“Basically, my knee was swollen for eight, nine months, but then suddenly, one month ago, something happened and then everything became positive, and I got energy from it,” he defined at a media convention.
“From there, we might work extra and extra, so from standing nonetheless for eight months, abruptly I might transfer usually, and then from regular I attempted to play the sport, and it develop into good, and from there I step it up.”
Last Saturday, Ibrahimovic captained AC Milan against Udinese in his first start since the injury, and though his penalty represented another milestone in his glittering career, his joy was tempered by the fact that the game finished 1-1.
“I had the honour to be the captain for my team and I didn’t win the game, so the outcome could have been better if I won the game, but I didn’t,” he mentioned, however he confirmed he was glad to be again enjoying soccer on the highest degree once more.
“That is necessary to me, as a result of I’m not right here for charity … I’m right here to play my sport, to offer and carry outcomes by means of my efficiency. Hopefully I can proceed to try this, however on the identical time feeling wholesome,” he mentioned.
Read all of the Latest Sports News here
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)
