Joshua Zirkzee

Joshua Orobosa Zirkzee (born 22 May 2001) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Manchester United and the Netherlands national team.

Born in Schiedam to a Nigerian mother and a Dutch father, Zirkzee began his footballing career as a five-year-old with VV Hekelingen after the family had moved to Spijkenisse.

[16] He subsequently made his Bundesliga debut on 18 December, coming on as a substitute in the 90th minute in a match against Freiburg tied at 1–1; he scored the winner almost immediately after entering the game.

[26] He ultimately finished the season as Bologna's top scorer, netting 11 goals and providing five assists,[27] helping his club secure a berth in the Champions League group stage.

[34][35] On 12 January 2025, Zirkzee scored the winning penalty against Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup as a 10-man Manchester United won the shootout 5–3 following a 1–1 draw after extra time.

Zirkzee had not initially been chosen, but was called up by head coach Ronald Koeman following injuries to Dutch midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners.

[40] On 6 July, he earned his first international cap during a 2–1 victory over Turkey in the quarter-finals, becoming the third player to debut for the Netherlands during a European competition following Martien Vreijsen (Euro 1980) and Cody Gakpo (2020).