When playing for Bayern Munich, he notoriously missed a tap-in against Ajax in a pre-season friendly that led to an insufferable amount of criticism and abuse from fans.
Social media was too much to bear and the forward proceeded to delete all his Instagram posts and even changed his profile picture to a black screen. Then boss Julian Nagelsmann wasn’t impressed: “He wanted to finish this one casually. I hope that he has a different sense of seriousness in competitive matches.”
That’s the problem with Zirkzee – his attitude has seemingly always been questioned.
“Talent alone is not enough, it is important that he works on himself,” said former Bayern manager Hansi Flick. “Then he can play Bundesliga. It’s about mentality and attitude and the absolute will to show what you want.”
Does Zirkzee want it at all costs?
At Anderlecht, a viral clip of then coach Vincent Kompany berating his players made the rounds earlier this summer. “And second thing, Zirk, this is the last time I talk about your attitude. You come off, I don’t need a ******* smile but I need an attitude that’s perfect. You were not good, just like all the other ones. I could have taken anyone off without anyone complaining.”
In teams where effort and intense determination are prized beyond insatiable skill then perhaps Zirkzee may not win hearts until people see a moment of magic and begin to question what football should be about.
Kompany actually proved to be an important coach for Zirkzee – he scored many goals in Belgium, paving the way for his move to Bologna. Having a coach who believed in him and helped nurture him was pivotal for a player who always wants to learn but is temperamental by nature.
With Motta at Bologna, especially in his second season when Marko Arnautovic had left and Zirkzee was loaded with more responsibility, the Dutchman thrived.
Bologna had players that understood how to exploit the space Zirkzee created for them, allowing for Calafiori’s excellent drives forward and Lewis Ferguson’s many goals. When Zirkzee understands the skill of the players around him, he learns how to manoeuvre to create the conditions for them to express their best.
“I try to move knowing the characteristics of my team-mates. With some I come to meet and receive the ball, with others I pretend to attack the depth, then I try to receive the ball on my feet,” explained Zirkzee to DAZN in March.
“I don’t consider myself a selfish striker but I think it’s something I’ll have to work on in the future. People are right, I don’t score enough. When I don’t score I get angry with myself. Believe me.”
It doesn’t help that Zirkzee’s physical stature suggests he ought to be a different type of striker. One look at his physique and we imagine him to bully opponents, use his weight, win the aerial duels and fight.
Instead, he is defined by his technique, ambidextrous as a child, he always wants the ball on the ground, more interested in delivering the game-splitting pass than scoring the goal.
That’s not to suggest he isn’t a clinical finisher – two predatory goals against Salernitana last season showed he’s not all beauty and magic, there’s efficiency too. But that hunger for goal perhaps isn’t a feeling that resides deep within.
The more he feels involved, the better he plays and Ruben Amorim has seemingly started to understand how the player can be utilised. Be patient with him, it’s not every day a player can comfortably contort his body like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or evokes Ronaldinho on pitch.
“Seeing him day to day, he reminds me of the Ronaldinho I played with at Barcelona,” Motta said. “But I cannot compare him to anyone. He is Joshua, he is special, he enjoys his football and above all works very hard in training.”
