Football
ESPN staff 8y

Zlatan Ibrahimovic causes trouble if not main man - Pontus Kamark

Zlatan Ibrahimovic could "create a lot of problems" at Manchester United if he is not established as the club's No. 1 striker, former Sweden international Pontus Kamark has told the Daily Mirror. 

Former IFK Goteborg and Leicester defender Kamark, whose international career was drawing to a close as Ibrahimovic was making his breakthrough, said the 34-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain striker can be a "good player for Manchester United" and that he sees him "almost like an Eric Cantona."

However, Kamark highlighted the potential issues if he is not made the main focus, as was the case when he played alongside Lionel Messi at Barcelona in the 2009-10 season.

"He has been in all kinds of arguments," Kamark, who now works as a pundit for Viasat in Sweden, said. "He called even Pep Guardiola 'The Philosopher' because Messi felt threatened about his superiority and Zlatan doesn't want to be No. 2.

"If someone comes in his way, he fights them. He can kick you down in training. He does whatever it takes to be on the throne. That can be for good and for bad -- especially if someone doesn't accept that.

"He always finds something because he can never be second best -- Zlatan has to be No. 1."

Ibrahimovic established himself as the star man at PSG, with Edinson Cavani forced into a wide role as a result, and will hope to do the same at Old Trafford despite competition from United captain Wayne Rooney and youngster Marcus Rashford.

Ibrahimovic has said Rooney, who appears more likely to play a deeper role in the attack, is a "perfect partner" and Kamark said: "Hopefully they get along, him and Rooney -- and if they do I think it is going to be the perfect match.

"If they don't, he is going to create a lot of problems."

Kamark, who appeared alongside Ibrahimovic for Sweden ahead of the 2002 World Cup, added: "You can have both sides with Zlatan. He takes a lot of space and there can be a lot of trouble around him but he can also make things happen that would be difficult without him."

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