Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has won the Swedish Golden Ball for the tenth year in a row and will have a statue built in his honour outside the national stadium Friends Arena.
Ibrahimovic helped Paris Saint-Germain to win the Ligue 1 title at a canter last season prior to joining Manchester United on a free transfer in the summer. This is the eleventh time that he has been crowned the best player in Sweden.
The 35-year-old has dominated the award over the past decade, with ex-Arsenal player Freddie Ljungberg’s success in 2006 the last time a different player received the prize.
Upon receiving the award Ibrahimovic said, as reported by Nima Tavallaey: “Now I have a full starting line-up of these awards. The kid from Rosengård gets a statue in Sweden’s capital city.
“Statues are usually built in honour of dead people. I feel very alive. Never stop working hard, it’s the only way to make dreams come true. Always believe in yourself and never give up.”
Ibrahimovic hasn’t quite been at his scintillating best this season, but the forward has still made something of an impact since joining United, scoring eight goals in 17 games across all competitions.
The former Sweden international missed the Red Devils’ 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the weekend through suspension but is now back available again and could return to action when Jose Mourinho’s side host Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday night.
United have struggled for consistency this term, but, while Mourinho appears uncertain of his best starting line-up, Ibrahimovic has managed to hold down a regular starting berth up front.
COMMENTS