Usually, when a player joins a team, the first thing that fans want to know about is how much money they will be making there. Today, Zlatan Ibrahimovic shared a story regarding his past where he showed that money wasn't as relevant for him as some people might think.
The Swedish ace came down with a knee injury while playing at Manchester United. At 35, some people believed that we had seen the last of Zlatan on the pitch, but he proved most of those who doubted him wrong, as he returned to the football pitch in November.
Regardless, Zlatan didn't feel quite like his old self, which made him ask for a 100% pay cut from Manchester United's bosses until he fully recovered.
"The situation was not about having a contract and earning money - it was the opposite. I said, 'I don't want a salary, you keep it'," Ibrahimovic stated.
The Swedish ace was, at the time, the best-paid player in the English Premier League. He felt that Manchester United should get what they paid for, and not a lesser version of himself.
"When I was ready, I said to myself, 'I am not there'. They had a Zlatan before. After, I was not ready to be that Zlatan. I was selected in many of the games but I told the coach: 'Listen, I am not ready. I don't want to disappoint you'," the striker added.
Once he knew the team's chances of winning the UEFA Champions League were over, Ibrahimovic asked Manchester United to release him from his deal, giving him the chance to join the LA Galaxy. There, Zlatan's joy for the game was re-born.
"I was feeling I was alive again after a long time doing this recovery. I could not describe the moment. All that eight months for that 20 minutes was worth it. I feel like a god, not like a lion," Ibrahimovic concluded.
The Swedish striker has scored 11 goals in 14 outings for the Californian side, including a massive brace during his MLS debut.
