How Zirkzee emulated Manchester United legend with goal against Fulham

Joshua Zirkzee has emulated Ruud van Nistelrooy by scoring the only goal in Manchester United’s win over Fulham in the opening Premier League game played at Old Trafford on Friday night.

A minute after the hour mark, Erik ten Hag brought on the Dutchman as Manchester United were searching for the opening goal of the encounter.

The 23-year-old would be the hero as he scored from close range to give Manchester United the victory over the Cottagers, three minutes before the stoppage time. 

According to OptaJoe, he has become the fourth Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut, following the footsteps of van Nistelrooy, Alexander Büttner and Donny van de Beek by doing so.

The former Bologna forward is also the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut and he will be hoping to make more history as a Manchester United player.

Zirkzee joined the Red Devils this summer for a reported £36.2m fee following an impressive campaign in the Serie A, helping Bologna qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 59 years.

He notched 11 goals and five assists in the Italian top flight and was named the division’s Best Young Player, an award previously won by Tottenham Hotspur forward Dejan Kulusevski.

AC Milan were the initial front-runner to win his signature but the club’s refusal to pay his agent Kia Joorabchian’s commission paved the way for Manchester United to win his signature.

He couldn’t be involved during pre-season due to his involvement in the 2024 European championship with the Netherlands. Also, he missed the Community Shield clash against Manchester City last weekend.

Therefore, he had to wait for his debut till today to make his debut and he couldn’t have hoped for a better start at Old Trafford.