Willem Weijsformer Anderlecht assistant manager, speaks to Sky Sport UK about Joshua Zirkzee, his player in the 21/22 season. These are his statements on the talented center forward in the sights of Milan And Manchester United.
Zirkzee’s experience at Anderlecht: “He left very young and that can sometimes be a problem for players. Young people believe it’s all about skill, scoring goals and playing good football, but professionalism demands other things from players. What the professional football asks you mentally and physically it is different from youth football. It was clear that he had a great talent, but he had to make a transition. The season at Anderlecht helped him a lot Belgium teams try to make the game very physical in the end. He exploded.
His relationship with Zirkzee: “I had to work a lot to build this relationship and gain his trust, because at the beginning he wasn’t very open. He needs to feel loved. He wants to be respected. But when he feels that he can trust you, he opens up. We would review footage of his games, discuss how he felt confident, his role in the team, those types of things.”
What makes it so strong? “He has a good physique, but it is his technique that stands out. His technical skills in small spaces are truly spectacular. He is so comfortable on the ball. His first touch is always soft. This means he creates a lot of time to find solutions in complicated situations”.
The second half of the season at Anderlecht: “Training at Anderlecht had become too easy for him. It was really clear that he was ready for the next step.”
The season of consecration in Bologna: “This is an example of the transition I was talking about: from youth player to professional player. It’s about hard work, mindset, growth mindset, intensity. Looking back, one can only say that Bologna was the perfect choice for him. Now, rightly, it has attracted a lot of interest.”
