Zlatan Ibrahimovic won the EFL Cup for Manchester United single-handedly as he scored twice to drown the dominant Southampton in the final.
The Cup has also marked the Swede’s first championship in England since moving to the country on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
The 35-year-old’s agent Mino Raiola has now hailed the superstar stating that he hs defied critics who said that he couldn’t cut it in the Premier League.
“He won a lot of things but for me also this [the EFL Cup triumph] was a special cup because of the disbelief the Premier League has always shown him before he came here, so this was a special victory,” he said.
“It was one of those challenges we wanted to take because he could have easily gone for more money or for other clubs but one of those challenges was let’s go to the Premier League and prove that he can get goals in the Premier League.”
“I did not have one minute of doubt that he could but a lot of people in the Premier League or around England had these doubts. I don’t think anyone sane in mind still has these doubts, but you never know!”
However, Raiola also expressed surprise as to why it took Zlatan Ibrahimovic so long to arrive in England.
“There was a lot of clubs in England that had reservations about if he could do the same there and I was always a little bit stunned by that question, that doubt, because in England pace is so important – maybe one of the most important attributes of the Premier League,” he said.
“I don’t know if they doubted him because of pace or quality, actually that is a question you should ask others. I was never in doubt. If he could do it wherever he did it and knowing how he is and what kind of man he is on and off the pitch, he can do it anywhere. He is the only player in the world who can be successful on Mars or on the moon.”
Raiola was also questioned about any possible interest in the player from England earlier in his career.
Raiola said, “Not at the level that he wanted. Also it was difficult as there was never momentum to do it. He was never a free agent in his career because he has always had top clubs wanting him. For an example big name Alex Ferguson never asked for him.”
“It is difficult to find someone with his mental determination, mental force, physical force, technical skills all in one.”
“For years I have said he is the best because from all the top players that are still in the game there is nobody so complete, nobody who did it at all levels at different clubs.”
“For all respect to everyone else, to spend 10 to 15 years in the same club is different to going to a club, adjusting yourself and doing it again. He is able to do that.”
