Tottenham’s on-loan Swede Dejan Kulusevski has hailed ‘humble’ Zlatan Ibrahimovic as his greatest inspiration and influence.From childhood idol to teenage mentor and now international colleague, Ibrahimovic’s part in Kulusevski’s own rise cannot be underestimated.
It is simply massive, as the Juventus midfielder, 21, signed by Spurs in January on an 18-month deal with the option to make it permanent, revealed ahead of Sunday's derby against West Ham.Above all, Kulusevski, whose parents are North Macedonian, views the AC Milan legend, 40, as the ground-breaker for the next generation of immigrants growing up in Sweden.
He watched on in awe as Ibrahimovic, son of a Serbian dad and Croat mum, became one of the most spectacular and charismatic figures on the football planet.In doing so, the prolific ex-Manchester United man was blazing a trail for youngsters in the country, with similar backgrounds, to follow.
Kulusevski, with 20 caps, declared: “For children like me, who come from a different country - and have blood from Macedonia, in my case - it’s amazing."Zlatan opened doors for us in Sweden that nobody can imagine.
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