Zlatan
Ibrahimovic says matches likes Saturday’s eagerly-awaited clash are the type of
occasions that "trigger" emotions in players and, as a veteran of
derby games across the world, he is more than ready for his first taste of
Manchester United versus City.
The
34-year-old has played in a host of local match-ups and he kicked off the derby
banter earlier this week with a tongue-in-cheek Instagram post aimed at new
Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.
Ibrahimovic
joked he was yet to have a reply from the Blues new boy as he looked ahead to
the weekend’s match at Old Trafford in an exclusive interview with MUTV to be
shown on Countdown To Kick-Off on Friday.
"For
me, the big games are the ones that trigger you. They’re the games everyone
speaks about," he explained. "I have played in many derby games, I’ve
played in the El Clasico, the Inter/Milan derby, Ajax and Feyenoord which was
the big one there [in Holland] and PSG/Marseille.
"I
have played in all of them, the only one I missed was this one. This is coming
on Saturday and I am very well prepared, confident and focused, and there is a
lot of hard work behind that. We are prepared and we are ready. We just wait
for the game now."
Asked
if during his short time in Manchester, he had realised the important of this
fixture, particularly to United fans, he added: “People are talking about it
and build it up and the media are discussing the situations from the red side
and the light-blue side and all the investments and transfers and the new
coaches. It’s a normal build-up.
"For
me, I’ve been through it and I know how it is. We are ready. Everyone came back
from the national team break and we are back in action. The team is
focused."
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