Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee found the net in his team’s 1-1 draw away at Real Sociedad.
It wasn’t the cleanest strike of his career, with Alex Remiro arguably at fault for failing to keep it out.
But the sheer pace and execution of Zirkzee’s shot was enough to beat the goalkeeper.
It gave United the lead before a contentious penalty allowed the home side to level the match.
With everything to play for in the second leg at Old Trafford, Zirkzee’s goal marked his sixth of the season and his first in the Europa League.
His performance was another sign of his growing importance in Ruben Amorim’s system.
Especially considering his early struggles adapting to his role.
The Dutchman has come a long way since being hooked after just 35 minutes in a December defeat to Newcastle.
An injury to Amad forced Amorim to adjust his attacking setup, with Zirkzee benefitting from a positional shift that is now starting to pay off.
Messages of support to Joshua Zirkzee
After the game, Zirkzee took to Instagram with a post-match message, sharing an image of himself preparing for kick-off.
View this post on Instagram
His teammates were quick to respond with support, including two players who missed the tie, Chido Obi and Harry Maguire.
Obi commented: “My boy”, while Maguire added, “Love it mate.”
Toby Collyer also reacted with an applause emoji.
Zirkzee has taken Obi under his wing, with the strong camaraderie between the pair evident both on and off the pitch.
Obi missed the trip to Spain as he was not registered for the Europa League – a surprising oversight from United.
However, that means he will be fresh for the upcoming clash against Arsenal.
A clash where he could look to follow in Marcus Rashford’s footsteps by scoring his first league goal against the Gunners.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE CENTRE DEVILS WHATSAPP GROUP CHAT NOW!
