Zlatan: I'm A Lion On The Pitch

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has described himself as a "lion" on the football pitch, but believes his confidence is wrongly perceived as arrogance. 

The Swedish striker - signed on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer - has enjoyed an excellent start to life at the club, netting the winner in last weekend's Community Shield clash against Leicester City. 

Already a cult hero in the stands, Zlatan has been quick to play down his "bad-boy" image, but says self-assurance is one of his biggest assets.

"I'm a normal person," he told Sky Sports. "People have the image of me that I'm a bad boy; I'm this and I'm that. People are curious: 'How is this Zlatan?' 

"I'm a family guy. I'm taking care of my family but, when I step on the pitch, I'm a lion. That's the big difference. I don't believe I'm arrogant in the way that people think. I'm confident. I believe in myself. That's not being arrogant. That's something I believe is an individual strength in the human being.

"I have confidence and I believe in myself. I have a vision and I do everything. I work hard for it. I don't believe that's arrogant."

Ibrahimovic will look to continue his fine form against Bournemouth in United's opening Premier League fixture this Sunday (14 August) - after scoring on his first outing against Galatasaray and competitive debut last weekend, he will be out to make it a hat-trick with a debut Premier League strike at the Vitality Stadium.