- Ibrahimovic recalls what he said to Jose Mourinho recovering from injury
- The Swedish striker was sidelined for seven month after undergoing surgery
- The 37-year-old left Manchester United to play in the MLS with LA Galaxy
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed the trauma he went through following his horrific knee injury he suffered during his spell with Manchester United.
The 37-year-old landed awkwardly in a Europa League clash against Anderletch that ruled him out of action for seven months.
The former Barcelona star made a return the following season in a substitute appearance in November.
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But he left for the Major League Soccer in March to play for LA Galaxy and the ex-AC Milan has since revealed he was not ready to return when he did.
"This was a new challenge for me [the injury] and I said I would come back when I was ready and I would play exactly as I did before," Ibrahimovic told BBC's Football Daily.
"When I cannot do that I will not continue in football because I’m not here for charity.
"After my injury, when I was selected, I said to Jose Mourinho: 'I do not want to disappoint you or my team-mates. You had a Zlatan before the injury and you had one after the injury and I cannot give you the Zlatan that you are used to, that’s why I will not give you this Zlatan because I’m not ready'.
"My second year at United, I was not feeling ready, I was feeling different, it was like I was starting at zero and I had to teach my knee how to play football again.
"After a while my confidence grew, I needed a new environment to feel that I was comfortable."
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimović is closing in on a sensational return to former club in the forthcoming winter transfer window in January 2019.
According to a SPORTbible report citing to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via CalcioMercato), the 37-year-old LA Galaxy forward has accepted the Rossoneri offer to head back to the San Siro in January.
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Source: Legit.ng
