Zlatan Enters Pantheon Of Big-game Players

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's two goals in Sunday's EFL Cup final underlined his status as a big-game player - and added his name to the pantheon of Manchester United stars who've scored in more than one trophy-winning match.

Of course, the Swede arrived in English football with a rich history of shining on the grand occasion. He's previously scored in silverware fixtures for Ajax, Milan, Barcelona and Paris-Saint Germain. With PSG, he claimed a brace in finals of the Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue and Trophee des Champions, something he replicated at Wembley against Southampton last weekend.

The 35-year-old had already headed the winner for United in the Community Shield against Leicester City on his competitive debut before emerging as the hero on Sunday, a scenario that seemed inevitable just by looking at the way he exuded the confidence, composure and swagger of a champion even before kick-off.

Ibrahimovic is a winner and the bigger the stage, the better for him. In addition to the three goals which have directly led to trophy lifts for United, he has scored in the two biggest home games of the Premier League season, against Manchester City and Liverpool.

It's clear he has the ability to stamp his huge personality all over high-profile fixtures, in the same way that numerous United icons in the past have also stepped up to the plate and secured their legendary status with key contributions in finals.

Ibrahimovic and Jesse Lingard's tally of three goals apiece in finals* is shared by Brian McClair (1991 Super Cup, 1992 League Cup, 1994 FA Cup), Cristiano Ronaldo (2004 FA Cup, 2006 League Cup, 2008 Champions League), Ruud van Nistelrooy (2001 Community Shield, 2004 FA Cup) and Norman Whiteside (1983 League Cup and FA Cup finals, plus the only goal in the 1985 FA Cup final).

Ahead of that illustrious group by one goal are the 'Busby Babes' legends Sir Bobby Charlton - he netted doubles in both the 1967 Charity Shield match and 1968 European Cup final - and Tommy Taylor, who bagged a hat-trick as the Reds won the Shield in 1957, having scored a consolation goal in the same year's FA Cup final. Another of United's early post-War heroes, Jack Rowley, was on the scoresheet five times when silverware was up for grabs - once in the 1948 Shield match, twice in the same competition in 1952 and, most famously, twice in the 1948 FA Cup final.

Bryan Robson scored two Wembley braces in 1983 - against Brighton in the FA Cup final replay and Liverpool in the Charity Shield - before also netting in the 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace in the 1990 FA Cup final. And while the skipper didn't score in the European Cup Winners' Cup final against Barcelona in the following season, he was still named Man of the Match, his big-game credentials being unquestionable.

Eric Cantona had the Zlatan-like charisma to dominate on a platform like Wembley and he scored five goals there for United. His cool pair of penalties in the 4-0 victory over Chelsea in 1994 and volleyed late winner versus Liverpool two years later are the stuff of legend; Eric also boasted a fine record in Shield matches, adding opening strikes for the Reds in 1994 and 1996 to the hat-trick in his Leeds United days.

Wayne Rooney has often been the man for the big occasion, scoring in a Champions League final (against Barcelona in 2011), bagging the only goal in the Club World Cup final win over Quito and netting three times in League Cup finals (2006 (twice), 2010)). The no.10 also has a 2009 Community Shield strike to his name. 

The man who has outscored all other Reds in trophy matches, though, is Mark Hughes, the current Stoke City manager. 'Sparky' scored seven such goals, comprising doubles in the 1990 FA Cup and 1991 Cup Winners' Cup finals and singles in the 1993 Charity Shield and 1994's League Cup and FA Cup finals. The Welshman also hit a sensational last-gasp equaliser in an FA Cup semi-final against Oldham Athletic at Wembley in 1994 and could always be relied upon on huge matchdays.

In that regard, Ibrahimovic is like Hughes and let's hope he has more finals to score in while he's at United.