Zirkzee: I don't feel new anymore

A headline move to United from Bologna in July was followed by scoring on his debut for his new club in August and getting a goal in his first start for his country, the Netherlands, in September against Bosnia & Herzegovina.

But the 23-year-old forward is showing no signs of being overawed by his quick succession of monumental achievements.

"Well, I'm just very thankful that it's happened. Now, it's on to the next one, then on to the next one," he told United Review, in typically understated fashion. "You can't really hang in the past for too long."

It took Zirkzee just 26 minutes of football to notch his first United goal, against Fulham in our opening game of the Premier League season, as he instinctively latched on to the end of an Alejandro Garnacho cross in front of the Stretford End to clinch the win.

Recalling the goal, which came after he replaced Mason Mount with an hour gone, he said: "To get that first goal in front of the home fans, get the win, it was just perfect."

And how do you celebrate such an important career milestone?

"I had some food and went to bed afterwards," the Dutchman told us, laughing.

"It was pretty late! I was with my dad and one of my best friends, so I just relaxed and had some sleep afterwards."

The striker likes to keep family close by, which is good for when he has a landmark to celebrate. Another soon followed, when he scored his first international goal for the Oranje, in Eindhoven.

"It was a great moment. Scoring in Holland, in front of my family," he said. "My grandparents hadn't seen a game of mine for a long time and they saw that one, so it was a very, very special moment for me."

From the highs of opening his goalscoring accounts for club and country, Zirkzee now feels like he's hitting a rhythm in his new surroundings.

He said: "I think that because I've been playing, I'm feeling a bit more at home on the pitch as well. I understand the guys more and I don't feel new anymore!"

Despite having plenty of positives to celebrate, he has also met the harsh reality of the ultra-competitive Premier League, so knows how important it is to build momentum through wins.

"We did have those two games — against Brighton and Liverpool — where we should have done something else other than lose," he said. "But I think the last two games [against Southampton and Barnsley] can be the beginning of something, of a good run, so we just have to keep going."

Zirkzee was speaking exclusively to United Review, our official matchday programme, ahead of our Europa League game against FC Twente.

If you want to read the full interview, order your copy here.