Lewandowski lists five attributes that are certain to make maligned Utd star ‘amazing’ as he urges patience from fans

Robert Lewandowski has rallied behind his former Bayern Munich teammate Joshua Zirkzee following his turbulent start at Manchester United.

Indeed, it’s rare to see a summer signing widely tipped for a move away a matter of months after their arrival at the club, but that has, unfortunately, proven to be the case for Zirkzee in recent weeks.

A goal on his maiden outing rounded off a dream start for the Dutch international, not least because it came in the closing stages of the tie and sealed a vital three points on opening day in front of the Stretford End. Then, when he failed to add to his account in his subsequent 16 appearances, fans’ concerns grew substantially.

To further dampen Zirkzee’s spirits, he saw his minutes reduced upon the return of counterpart Rasmus Hojlund, who’s expected to retain his starting spot under Ruben Amorin for the forthcoming fixtures. He now faces a considerable battle to perform in the cameos he’s granted to prove his abilities to the new head coach – or risk being left behind altogether.

Lewandowski can’t speak highly enough of maligned Zirkzee

Keeping tabs on how his ex-understudy has been faring in England, Lewandowski heaped praise onto the 23-year-old’s shoulders when speaking with Rio Ferdinand. 

“He (Zirkzee) plays amazing with his back to the goal,” the world-class frontman began. “He can hold the ball. He can play with one or two touches or bring wingers [into the game].

“He is also a good finisher in the box. He’s big, you know, he’s young, but he’s big. And I think he can keep the ball very [well].”

“You need a bit of time when you join this kind of club. A big club with huge expectations. For him, [the 2023/24 campaign] was the first season he was involved as a typical striker, but his time in Manchester has not been so brilliant. Of course, I hope he comes back on the right track.

“But he is a striker who can really help his teammates if you know how to use him. He is not a typical goalscoring striker.”