´Benjamin Button´ Ibrahimovic vows to give everything in top-four chase

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Manchester United will do everything they can to fight for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

The veteran striker scored his 28th goal of the season to help United to a 3-0 win over 10-man Sunderland on Sunday, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford also on the scoresheet.

The result moves United to within four points of the Champions League places, with a game in hand on fourth-place Manchester City, and Ibrahimovic is refusing to give up hope of bridging that gap.

“It was a good win and we have to keep focus and keep working and keep believing we can reach the top four,” he told Sky Sports. “We believe in it and we will do everything we can to reach the top four.”

United were given a helping hand when Sebastian Larsson was controversially sent off for a challenge on Ander Herrera with the scores at 1-0, but Ibrahimovic would not say if he believed his compatriot deserved a red card.

“At the end the best team will win so the game was good and we got the 1-0 and the red card,” he said. “I couldn’t see if it was a red card or not but he gave it and then we played with one more. Sometimes it’s more difficult but sometimes it gives you the advantage because you have one more.”

Ibrahimovic has now scored 17 times in a brilliant first season in the Premier League and has a remarkable 250 goals in the five years since he turned 30.

The former Paris Saint-Germain star posted a picture on his Instagram page this week with the caption ‘Benjamin Button’, in reference to the literary character who becomes younger as time passes.

And Ibrahimovic says he feels “more intelligent” in his approach to the game at this late stage of his career.

“I train hard. I believe in myself and I know what I am able to do,” he added. “I’m not worried.

“The older you are, the more experienced, the more intelligent and you don’t waste energy on things you don’t need. I feel like Benjamin Button. I was born old and will die young.”

 

Benjamin Button #innergold @azsportswear

A post shared by IAmZlatan (@iamzlatanibrahimovic) on Mar 31, 2017 at 6:00am PDT