Zlatan Ibrahimovic insisted "the lion is still hungry" and promised to give his all to his new club in his introduction as an LA Galaxy player on Friday.
The former Manchester United man revealed that his move to the Galaxy was supposed to happen two years ago, only for him to join the Old Trafford club instead.
"My head was here. I wanted to come here, and it didn't happen," he said. "Okay. Things go sometimes like it's not supposed to go, but the destiny said I will come here. So LA called and I answered."
Ibrahimovic, who said he is ready to take the field on Saturday for the inaugural Los Angeles derby against LAFC, also addressed the issue of his age and his health after he sustained a serious knee injury back last April during a Europa League match against Anderlecht.
"I feel young. I said once before I'm like Benjamin Button," Ibrahimovic said. "I was born old, and I will die young, this is for sure. It's just to say, don't worry about my age.
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"I know I'm [36]. When I came to England, they all said I was old. I came in a wheelchair. After three months I conquered England and they said I was flying, so this is only numbers.
"I know what I'm able to do. I know what I can do. I'm here to win."
Ibrahimovic made his comeback from the injury in late 2017, but endured a setback in late December. He hasn't played in a competitive match since.
"I didn't feel 100 percent, I didn't feel ready, so I took a step back," he said. "Because I'm not there because I'm Ibrahimovic, I'm there to give you results, and if I cannot do it, I will not let you force me or somebody else to go on the field because of my name, just because I have achieved.
"I don't like it like that. I like to do something where I can give back, and that is giving results."
Ibrahimovic said the injury had given him a different perspective on the game, and a greater appreciation as well.
"Mentally I've become stronger. I've become different, I think different," he said. "I just want to go out there, smell the grass, appreciate every time I put my shoes on, just to touch the ball, kick it, to pass it, to run.
"It took me back to where I began to play football. That is what I felt, and I appreciate every time I can go out and do the things I've been doing for the last 20 years. I'm just happy and I know what I've done to come where I am now."
Ibrahimovic singled out two individuals for sealing the move to the Galaxy. The first was Galaxy technical director Jovan Kirovski, whose persistence led Ibrahimovic to joke that he had spoken to Kirovski "more than my wife."
The second was former Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, who was a teammate of Ibrahimovic's at Paris Saint-Germain.
"Obviously, when I played with David with PSG, you get to know the person," he said. "[He's a] fantastic guy, great family guy, he had only positive things to day. I got a message from Beckham, 'Enjoy it.'
Beckham is a part-owner for Miami's expansion franchise, which will start play in two years.
On the possibility of joining Beckham's team, Ibrahimovic said: "[Beckham] should only wish and be happy that I'm not playing in 2020."
Ibrahimovic also had praise for MLS and how it is developing on and off the field.
"I think it's very competitive, it's growing, it's growing fast, I see from when I was in Europe a lot of football from the MLS," he said. "I know the interest is growing over here also. It says everything.
"I know that MLS can come to a level where Europe [is]. It's all about time; it's all about how things are developing. I come here to try it, to feel it and make it better, to be one of those guys that made a difference and give it the right boost for the competition because I see big potential in MLS, and I want to be part of it."
Ibrahimovic added that he's available for Saturday's derby against expansion side LAFC.
As for whether he'll play in this summer's World Cup, Ibrahimovic, who is considering coming out of international retirement for the event, said: "Let me first enjoy here.
"Whatever happens here, we take it further, but my focus is on Galaxy and be available, help my teammates, help coach, help the club, whatever they need.
"So the World Cup is another question. There's nobody needs to call nobody. If I want, I'm there. Whatever they say, it is like it is."