Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee has revealed he received advice from Burnley manager Vincent Kompany when they were together at Anderlecht that it seems he’s now acting out.
Tuttosport cover comments from the striker today after he gave an exclusive interview to DAZN’s My Skills programme, relayed by Tuttosport, in which his relationship with the now Burnley manager was a part of the discussion.
Zirkzee has been impressing in Italy this season, with 10 goals and four assists in 26 games in Serie A to date for Thiago Motta’s side, leading to some claims that Bologna now valued him at €80m.
He finally appears to be living up to the talent that he’s been credited with since the early days of his career, and perhaps becoming the player many believed he would become.
He initially started out in the Netherlands before moving to Bayern Munich in 2017, where he worked up the youth ranks and into the first team in 2020.
By the following summer he was being loaned out, though, first joining Parma and then moving to Anderlecht for the 2021/22 season.
It was there where he linked up with Kompany and proved to be a big hit, scoring 18 goals and registering 13 assists in 47 games for the club.
And it seems advice he received from the Burnley manager during that time stuck with him and is now working out to be key.
“I’m very good in the area but I also like to play outside the area, on the left especially, when we start to attack,” he said.
“I try to move knowing the characteristics of my teammates: with some I come forward to receive the pass, with others I pretend to attack the depth, then I try to receive the ball on my feet. I don’t consider myself a selfish attacker.
“People are right, I don’t score enough. When I don’t score, I get angry with myself. Believe me, I try to give my all to score more.
“Kompany, my coach at Anderlecht, he gave a lot of advice. He told me that I couldn’t remain a talent forever, but I had to become a real player.”
