Joshua Zirkzee is a Dutch professional footballer born in 2001.
He currently plays as a forward for Manchester United F.C. in the Premier League.
Zirkzee began his football career at the age of five with VV Hekelingen before moving through various youth academies.
Biography
Early Life
Joshua Orobosa Zirkzee was born in 2001 in Schiedam, Netherlands, to a Nigerian mother and a Dutch father. He began his football journey at the young age of five with VV Hekelingen, after his family relocated to Spijkenisse. Zirkzee's talent was evident early on, leading him to join the youth team of Spartaan '20 in 2010, where he played alongside his cousin, Nelson Amadin. His development continued at ADO Den Haag in 2013, before he ultimately moved to the Feyenoord youth academy in 2016.
Career
In 2017, Zirkzee transitioned to Bayern Munich's youth setup, where he quickly made a name for himself. He scored a hat-trick in his debut for Bayern Munich II on March 1, 2019, and just a day later, he netted the winning goal for the under-19 team. Zirkzee made his professional debut in the 3. Liga later that year and soon after, he made his mark in the Bundesliga, scoring a crucial goal in his debut match against Freiburg in December 2019. Over the years, he played for various clubs, including a stint at Parma Calcio 1913 and R.S.C. Anderlecht, before joining Bologna F.C. 1909 in 2022 and then moving to Manchester United F.C. in 2024.
Zirkzee has also represented the Netherlands at multiple youth levels, including under-15 through under-21 teams. He was called up to the senior national team for the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, where he made his debut in a quarter-final match against Turkey, becoming one of the few players to debut for the Netherlands in a European competition.
Playing Style
As a forward, Zirkzee is known for his versatility, height, and strength, which allow him to excel in aerial duels and hold up play. Despite his physical attributes, he possesses excellent technique and dribbling skills, enabling him to contribute effectively in various attacking roles.
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Gallery
Career & Clubs
Zirkzee is a versatile forward. His height and strength enable him to be dominant in the air as well as play with his back to goal and hold up the ball. Despite his tall frame, he has excellent technique and dribbling abilities which also allow him to drop deeper into a more traditional playmaker position.
Born in the Netherlands to a Dutch father and a Nigerian mother, Zirkzee was eligible to represent the Netherlands or Nigeria at international level. He played youth international football for the Netherlands at under-15, under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels. On 12 June 2024, Zirkzee was added to the Netherlands senior team's squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament in Germany. He 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. 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).
Early years
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. After impressing early on, he moved to the youth department of Spartaan '20 in 2010, where he played alongside his cousin, Nelson Amadin. He then left for ADO Den Haag in 2013, before ending up in the Feyenoord youth academy in 2016. One year later, Zirkzee left the Feyenoord academy in his native Netherlands to join the youth setup of Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich
On 1 March 2019, Zirkzee scored a hat-trick in his debut for Bayern Munich II. Just a day later, he scored the winning goal for the under-19 side as they defeated 1. FC Nürnberg 2–1. Zirkzee made his professional debut in the 3. Liga for Bayern Munich II on 20 July 2019, coming on as a substitute in the 74th minute for Oliver Batista Meier in the away match against Würzburger Kickers. On 11 December 2019, Zirkzee made his debut for the senior team against Tottenham Hotspur in the final group stage match of the Champions League. 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. Shortly after, Serge Gnabry added another stoppage-time goal to secure a 3–1 victory. Two days later, he again came off the bench in the final minutes of the game and scored the…
Club
As of match played 10 September 2026
International
As of match played 19 November 2024
Netherlands score listed first, score column indicates score after each Zirkzee goal.
- Club
- FC Bayern Munich (2019–2022)
- Club
- Netherlands national under-15 football team (2016–2016)
- Club
- Netherlands national under-16 association football team (2016–2017)
- Club
- Netherlands national under-17 football team (2017–2017)
- Club
- Netherlands national under-18 association football team (2018–2018)
- Club
- Netherlands national under-19 football team (2019–2020)
- Club
- Netherlands national under-21 football team (2020–2023)
- Club
- Parma Calcio 1913 (2021–2021)
- Club
- Bologna F.C. 1909 (2022–2024)
- Club
- Manchester United F.C. (2024–)
- Club
- R.S.C. Anderlecht (2021–2022)
- Club
- Netherlands national association football team (2024–)
- National team
- Netherlands
Clubs
- Manchester United F.C.2024current
- Netherlands national association football team2024current
- Netherlands national under-15 football team2016–2016
- Netherlands national under-16 association football team2016–2017
- Netherlands national under-17 football team2017–2017
- Netherlands national under-18 association football team2018–2018
- FC Bayern Munich2019–2022
- Netherlands national under-19 football team2019–2020
- Netherlands national under-21 football team2020–2023
- Parma Calcio 19132021–2021
- R.S.C. Anderlecht2021–2022
- Bologna F.C. 19092022–2024
Played together with
A. H. AlbutManchester United F.C.
Aaron Leya IsekaR.S.C. Anderlecht · 2014
Aaron Wan-BissakaManchester United F.C. · 2019–2024
Abdelkader GhezzalParma Calcio 1913 · 2013–2015
Abdoulay DiabyR.S.C. Anderlecht · 2021–2021
Abe LenstraNetherlands national association football team · 1940–1959
Abel BalboParma Calcio 1913 · 1998–1999- Adam AznouFC Bayern Munich · 2022
- Adam EckersleyManchester United F.C. · 2004–2008
Adam MaherNetherlands national association football team · 2012
Adam MasinaBologna F.C. 1909 · 2013
Adaílton Martins BolzanBologna F.C. 1909 · 2007–2010
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Joshua Orobosa Zirkzee is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Manchester United and the Netherlands national team.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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