HIS name means ‘golden’, he’s got mean tae kwon do skills and he’s scored some of the finest goals of the last few years. And today it’s his birthday, so we’d like to wish Zlatan Ibrahimovic many happy returns as he blows out 26 candles on his birthday cake.

One of the few Swede’s who’s deadlier in the box than Sven, Ibrahimovic started his career at Malmo and quickly came to the attention of some Europe’s top managers. Arsene Wenger was one who spotted his talent early doors and had a bid for the striker rejected before his eventual move to Ajax for a Swedish record €7.8 million. Here his career really took off as he got a chance to show his skills on a bigger stage as Ajax reached the latter stages of the Champions League.

Question marks over his temperament when he injured his Ajax team-mate Rafael van der Vaart in a friendly international in August 2004 lead to a speedy transfer to Italian giants Juventus for €19 million. He would only stay here for two seasons, as the Moggi scandal rocked the Turin club and he darted over to Inter Milan where he was part of the side that waltzed to the title last season.



Famed for his powerful build Zlatan can match his physical strength with a technical proficiency and is one of the world’s best dribblers around. So, in other words, he’s got a good touch for a big man. Fans back home in Sweden released a song about Ibrahimovic for the 2006 World Cup, randomly called ‘Who’s Da Man’ and featuring a seven-year old on vocals. Zlatan’s media domination in his homeland is nearing completion as there is also a film based on his life knocking around called Vägen tillbaka - BlÃ¥dÃ¥rar 2. Sadly, we’re not going to review this for you, as our Swedish isn’t up to scratch at On This Football Day.

So here’s what Ibrahimovic is all about - spectacular goals. Take a minute to enjoy this highlight reel and come again tomorrow for a look at a player that didn’t slip through Wenger’s Arsenal-sized net.

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