Former Milan goalkeeper Dida has claimed that Joshua Zirkzee reminds him of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while also stressing how important Rafael Leao will be under Paulo Fonseca.
Dida is of course remembered fondly by many after his 10-year spell with Milan from 2000 to 2010 during which he was widely regarded as one of the best shot-stoppers in the world.
The major honours he racked up certainly backed this as he won the Champions League with the Rossoneri in 2003 against Juventus (when he was the hero in the penalty shootout) and in 2007 against Liverpool.
The Brazilian made over 300 career appearances for Milan and he also earned 91 caps in 11 years with his national team, then returning to the club as a youth goalkeeping coach at first before moving up to the senior team then departing.
Dida spoke to Sky Sport Italia (via PianetaMilan) and he was asked about a number of different topics related to his former club from their pursuit of a new striker to Fonseca’s meeting with Leao.
What do you think of Zirkzee?
“Well, Zirkzee reminds me of Ibrahimovic a little bit, but Ibra is Ibra. Ibra has certainly achieved a lot in his career. He is a player who is excellent in all aspects, inside the box, outside the box, with his head… he was truly complete. So, in this type of comparison, Ibra has the advantage. However, Zirkzee has great qualities, so he will be important if he comes to Milan.”
Fonseca reportedly met with Leao at the Portugal camp…
“It is certainly important to have this contact right away, especially with Leao, who is certainly an important player for Milan, and having a trustful contact already shows that he [Fonseca] cares a lot.”