Manchester United starlet Zidane Iqbal has admitted he looks up to Thiago Alcantara despite the Spaniard playing for a major rival.
The 19-year-old is a lifelong Man United fan who joined the club's academy aged nine. After working his way through various age groups, he is now on the cusp of breaking into the first-team picture, following on from his debut in a Champions League clash against Young Boys back in December 2021.
A technically gifted and press resistant midfielder, Iqbal operates best in the 'number-eight' role that has been performed so well by Liverpool midfielder Thiago. At 31, the Reds star is coming towards the opposite end of his career, but even since signing from Bayern Munich in 2020 as a 29-year-old, the silky midfielder has proved crucial to Jurgen Klopp's evolution into a team that can play a more possession-based game compared to the earlier years.
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And Iqbal - already capped twice by his native Iraq - has admitted his appreciation for such a 'beautiful' midfield technician, even if he does play for a major rival.
“When I was young my dad used to put a lot of YouTube videos of Zinedine Zidane on at home,” Iqbal told GQ when asked who he admires. ”Now, I look up to Frenkie de Jong, I think he’s a brilliant player. And Thiago from Liverpool. I know he’s playing for Liverpool but you can still respect another person and how they play – he’s beautiful to watch.”
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