Image source, Getty Images
- Author, Arthur Renard
- Role, Dutch football journalist
If Manchester United fans hope for an early impact from Joshua Zirkzee at Old Trafford, they only have to look to his first minutes in a Bayern Munich shirt five years ago.
At the time, the then-18-year-old forward was used in some of Hansi Flick’s first games as Bayern manager in a season in which the Bavarians would go on and win the Treble of Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League.
Despite not being a regular, Zirkzee played a key role in their domestic league success.
In December 2019, Bayern sat fifth in the table and looked to be slipping further off the pace as they were being held 1-1 at Freiburg heading into the 90th minute.
Zirkzee was sent on, and it only took 104 seconds for the Dutchman to make a huge impact on his Bundesliga bow, slotting home a pass from Serge Gnabry, who would also score in injury time to seal Bayern’s 3-1 victory.
Only a few days later Zirkzee came off the bench and to their rescue again, at home to Wolfsburg. This time it took him 149 seconds to find the breakthrough in the 85th minute, before Gnabry added another in a 2-0 win.
Zirkzee’s sudden emergence on the international stage was the reward for a journey which started in 2007 back at local club VV Hekelingen in Spijkenisse, before a stint at Spartaan ’20 got him in at the books of professional side ADO den Haag.
After three years he moved to the academy of Feyenoord, with the youngster developing into a versatile forward in his formative years, with a very good eye for a goal.
Zirkzee impressed as he played with both the under-16s and under-17s in the same season at Feyenoord, winning the league with the first and the cup with the latter and scoring many goals in the process.
While several under-17s players then received a contract offer, Zirkzee had to wait before getting a deal and that is the moment he became receptive to join other clubs as well, looking for a bit more security.
Rivals Ajax and PSV Eindhoven were no options for him, though, as he felt he could not do that to Feyenoord.
In the summer of 2017, a move abroad looked more likely and two clubs were seriously interested – one a surprising candidate from the Premier League.
The battle for the youngster was between Bayern Munich and Everton, where Zirkzee played two games in an international youth tournament in the Czech Republic.
“Everton was a serious option for me, because Ronald Koeman was the manager of the first team and I didn’t have many strikers in front of me at that time,” he told me in an interview in 2019.
“Romelu Lukaku left for Manchester United that summer and Everton gave me a feeling there was a good chance to come through there. When I was there they offered me a contract straightaway.”
Image source, Getty Images
Yet Zirkzee waited until he got an offer from Bayern.
It took a bit of time, but eventually happened after an inventive suggestion from the forward himself.
“Initially they had looked at two games of me at Feyenoord which weren’t my best games, so Bayern wasn’t sure yet. Then I just said to them, ‘let me train three times with you and assess whether I’m good enough then’.”
The Bavarian side agreed to his proposal, after which the youngster convinced Bayern to offer him a deal.
“Around that time young Dutch players usually went to England,” he recalled. “I was actually one of the first who went to Germany. I was like, this is something different, I would like to go for that challenge.”
He started in their under-17s side, but soon moved to the under-19s, and in his second season was already part of the second team.
On a few occasions he was invited to train with the first team and joined them at training camps in the United States and Qatar. Suddenly, he shared a dressing room with Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer.
Patience was required, though, as a first-team debut was not immediately forthcoming.
Flick eventually brought him into the matchday squad for the Champions League game against Tottenham Hotspur, in which he made his official debut, before the vital contribution in those league games against Freiburg and Wolfsburg.
Zirkzee’s goals were crucial, meaning Bayern trailed leaders RB Leipzig by four points instead of eight, before going on to close the gap and eventually become champions.
Image source, Getty Images
Loan moves to Parma and Anderlecht to gain more first-team experience followed, with the Belgian club a particular hit.
Zirkzee netted 15 league goals and registered eight assists in a team coached by current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.
In those years he also represented the Netherlands Under-21 side, with his coach Erwin van de Looi explaining in Voetbal International two years ago how Zirkzee distinguished himself as a striker.
“What makes Joshua special in my opinion is that he combines his best qualities – technique, strength, power and his ability to receive the ball – with efficiency,” he said.
The season after he was sold to Bologna and again had to be patient, being used mostly as a substitute in his first campaign with the Serie A outfit.
Come the second year, Zirkzee made quick strides and with 11 goals and five assists he played an important part in securing Champions League football for the outfit from Emilia-Romagna.
His displays eventually gave him a place in Koeman’s Netherlands squad at Euro 2024, after Teun Koopmeiners had to withdraw through injury.
The 23-year-old came on in the quarter-final victory against Turkey, winning his first international cap.
Just after reaching the semi-final with his country, it emerged his move to Old Trafford was close to completion.
Zirkzee will add a wide range of skills to the Manchester United dressing room, with his versatility a very valuable asset for Erik ten Hag.
In the last few years, he has developed more depth to his game, making deep runs, added to his qualities of receiving and holding balls and skilful dribbling.
His technique and creativity stand out and also his ability to put team-mates in scoring positions. Fellow striker Rasmus Hojlund will probably be very happy with the arrival of the Dutchman.
And if Zirkzee can have the same sort of instant impact that he had in the Bundesliga five years ago, United fans will no doubt be very happy too.