Zlatan Ibrahimovic is known for his brashness, but some might still be surprised with how he handled one situation over two decades ago
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is no shrinking violet; far from it. And, in true Zlatan style, he has now revealed his response to one legendary former Premier League manager 25 years ago.
As a 17-year-old, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger invited the Swede to train with the Premier League side to prove why they should sign him. Still on the fringes of the Malmo first team, many players would have jumped at the opportunity to train alongside the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira.
Not Zlatan. Speaking on Piers Morgan: Uncensored, Ibrahimovic explains his decision to reject Arsenal trials while still only 17.
"Wenger invited me but I didn't go to Arsenal. I don't do trials," Ibrahimovic said. When pressed on that comment, though, his unwavering self-belief presented itself.
Ibrahimovic faced Wenger's Arsenal on a number of occasions during his career (Image credit: Getty Images)
"No no, you don't understand... I don't do trials. I am the best; f**k the rest."
This isn't the first time the Swede has mentioned turning down Arsenal, however. Previously, he has spoken about his ambitions as a young footballer, and that Wenger's lack of faith in signing him immediately simply didn't fit into his career plans.
"I went to London for an appointment with Wenger, who asked me to audition for the Gunners," Ibrahimovic told Sky Sport Italia. "I told him 'I will not do a trial: either you take me or not, I'm not here to waste time'.
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"I already had that kind of trust [in myself], because in my mind I was the strongest of all even when I was young. I met Wenger because I expected him to tell me to start with them right away. But Ibra does not test.
Wenger wanted to sign the teenage Zlatan (Image credit: Getty Images)
"When I was young, in my mind no one was better than me. I watched Ronaldo, Romario and [Roberto] Baggio on TV and I had one goal: I wanted to show that I was the best."
Instead of signing for Arsenal, the 42-year-old earned a move to Ajax in 2001 after impressing as a teenager at Malmo. His decision, ultimately, didn't turn out too badly.
After all, he went onto win countless league titles in four different European countries, multiple domestic honours and a plethora of individual accolades during his time as a professional, too.
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
