Milan, Juventus and Man Utd target Zirkzee: ‘God has a plan for me’

Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee has been linked to numerous clubs including Milan, Juventus and Manchester United, so reveals a little about himself. ‘I am convinced God has a plan for me.’

The Dutch forward came up through the Bayern Munich academy and has flourished in Italy, first on loan at Parma, then sold to Bologna.

He sat down with La Gazzetta dello Sport and their Sportweek magazine, so while the full interview will be released over the weekend, they published a few early snippets.

“I was given this gift from God that I can play football and I do not want to waste that talent. I am convinced God has a plan for me.”

The 22-year-old has a Dutch father and Nigerian mother, who gave him the middle name Orobosa, meaning ‘Destiny is in the hands of God.’

His destiny was to go through several Dutch academies before he was sold to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2017, when he was 16 years old.

“School was what I enjoyed the least. My creativity comes from playing football in the streets with my friends. That is something precious in the Netherlands, as every quarter has a Cruijff court, just like in America every neighbourhood has a basketball court.

“They looked after us at Bayern, we were a chaotic bunch of adolescents and it was not easy for them to deal with us, but I really was happy there.”

The step up to the senior squad came at an early age, making his Bundesliga debut in December 2019, when he was only 18 years old.

“From one day to the next, I found myself in the same locker room as players I had until then only seen on my Playstation games. I was fortunate to bond with Thomas Muller, a wonderful person, who helped me so much to get settled into the first team.

“When I scored my first Bundesliga goal and looked up to see my father so happy in the stands, that was such a great moment.”

Zirkzee has been linked with Manchester United and Juventus, but most consistently with Milan, and has already made his mark at San Siro this season.

“It is a fantastic stadium. Playing well there, against Inter or Milan, is the ultimate thrill.”

The forward scored for Bologna here against Inter twice, in a 2-2 Serie A draw and Coppa Italia victory, then held Milan to a 2-2 stalemate at the Stadio Meazza too.

Zirkzee has nine goals and six assists in 26 competitive appearances for the Rossoblu this season.