Joshua Zirkzee credits one teammate for completely reworking how he gets ready to play. And it wasn’t a coach or a sports scientist. It was Lisandro Martinez.
The Manchester United striker told club media that a breathing exercise Martinez showed him has become a staple of his pre-match preparation. Zirkzee said he started using it because it made him feel good, so he stuck with it. Simple as that.
Most fans know Zirkzee as the Dutch forward who struggled to lock down a regular starting spot last season. He made 24 Premier League appearances but only five starts. Two goals and one assist is not what anyone expected when he arrived. And with Benjamin Sesko looking like the clear first-choice striker after coming over from RB Leipzig last summer, speculation about Zirkzee’s future has been loud. A return to Italy has been floated, with AC Milan, Juventus and AS Roma all reportedly interested. He also missed out on a spot in Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands World Cup squad, which stings.
But when he sat down with United’s in-house media, Zirkzee didn’t dwell on playing time or transfer noise. He walked through his routine instead.
“I do some breathing work, so that I am focused,” he said. “I listen to some music, get my prep done. While listening to music, I try to visualise what can happen in the game.” He also mentioned that Kobbie Mainoo brings good energy into the locker room, whether he’s playing or not. And he prays before every game. “It’s just in the system already,” he added.
Zirkzee said the breathing piece came directly from Martinez. “I came across it through Licha actually. It made me feel good, so I figured why not do it before a game? I think it’s always good to have a routine. I made it part of my routine and just stuck by it ever since.”
What Zirkzee said about Kobbie Mainoo
When the conversation turned to Mainoo, Zirkzee was asked to rate the young midfielder’s calmness on a scale from one to ten, with one being completely calm and ten being nervous.
“One? Did he not?” Zirkzee replied. “Kobbie is the definition of calm. You can’t put pressure on him.”
That kind of poise is exactly why Mainoo is pushing for his first World Cup start in England’s final group game against Panama. If he keeps that composure, he’ll be a problem for opponents for a long time.
For Zirkzee, the breathing trick might seem like a small thing. But small things add up when you’re fighting for minutes at a club like United.
Leave a Comment