‘I won’t have any regrets’ – Manchester United’s Zidane Iqbal wants to impress

Zidane Iqbal says he is determined to take any chance Erik ten Hag gives him at Manchester United after impressing the club’s pre-season tour from Thailand and Australia.

The 19-year-old, who played in the second half of the 4-0 win against Liverpool last week and the 4-1 victory against Melbourne Victorybelieves this may be the only chance to make his mark and admits he would weigh the ‘pros and cons’ of a loan move for the 2022-23 season.

Iqbal, who has played twice for Iraq, made his debut as a late substitute in the Champions League draw with Young Boys last December and when asked about his desire and style of play, he said: “I thought to myself, ‘This might be the only chance I get in the first team.

“It’s been part of my game since I was young; always want the ball. I just do what I do and what should be will be. I will have no regrets. I’m just going to try to do my best on the pitch and let God decide. I would like to thank the fans for showing me all the love and support recently. It’s an incredible feeling.

“I grew up loving this club. I’ve been playing here since I was eight or nine years old. Playing in front of 90,000 people [in Bangkok] is something I dreamed of. Playing against Victory and against Liverpool, even in the Champions League, is hard to describe. [But] if the opportunity arose to go on loan, I would weigh the pros and cons. For now, it is too early to tell. See what the future holds.

Iqbal is enjoying the two-week trip. “There is definitely a good atmosphere around the team,” he said. “He’s a new manager, from the first doors, but the ideas he gave us, two good results, everyone is happy in training. Everyone gives 100%, which is the best atmosphere.

Iqbal is not concerned about further scrutiny due to his heritage. “Obviously there aren’t a lot of South Asians playing [he has a Pakistani father and an Iraqi mother] but if you are good enough, I believe you will succeed no matter where you come from. I don’t pay too much attention to it. But, yeah, there’s a lot more people watching what I do because they can… not understand, but kind of [have an interest].

“I’m just trying to continue my journey. I will always give 100% in training and matches. If I inspire people along the way, that’s great.

Meanwhile, Luke Shaw believes United have already improved under Ten Hag. “Especially in training, it’s definitely a big improvement,” the left-back said. “And even in games, I think you might see things that you probably haven’t seen before, so there are things to look forward to.

“The manager knows what the team needs and he has his own style and how he wants to manage… all the players have taken him into account and they really appreciate him. He’s very practical and he takes a lot of sessions. He gets very involved and if he sees that people aren’t achieving the standards he wants in coaching he will make sure they know it’s good because he keeps the standards high .