Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has said he accepts responsibility for his limited playing time at the club, acknowledging that only he can convince manager Michael Carrick to select him more regularly by improving his performances.
The Dutch striker received an unexpected call-up to the Netherlands squad during the international break after Sunderland striker Brian Bobbey pulled out due to an injury sustained in the Nations League opener against Germany. Zirkzee had not represented the Netherlands since November 2024.
International return under Xavi
Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi is now at the helm of the Netherlands, and the Spaniard brought Zirkzee on from the bench against Greece and Serbia last week. The 25-year-old subsequently netted just his second international goal in the 2-1 triumph against Serbia on Sunday evening.
“Even if it was going in, I think Tijjani (Reijnders) would know that I still gave it an extra touch,” Zirkzee said of his goal during an interview with ESPN. “Otherwise, I think it was going on to the post. But it was a good move, and fortunately, Reijnders and I were in the right place.”
Limited club action
Zirkzee revealed that Xavi selected him for the squad because of his technical ability on the ball, despite his limited minutes at United, while also emphasising the need for more regular club football.
“At the moment, that means I am mainly coming on as a substitute,” said Zirkzee regarding competition at United. “And in the end, I have to do something about that myself, even if it isn't easy. Even so, it was still quite a big surprise that the coach called me up.”
Zirkzee had been keen to depart United last January in pursuit of consistent first-team action, and considered another move during the summer transfer window, before being told by United that he remained a necessary part of the squad.
Unexpected call-up
“I absolutely did not expect a call-up,” said Zirkzee. “I'm obviously not a starter, so it did give me a good feeling that the coach had confidence in me to call me up. But absolutely not expected, no.”
The forward has featured in merely four matches for United across all competitions this campaign, accumulating just 70 minutes of playing time.
