'I almost got his foot in my face!' - Joshua Zirkzee hails Matthijs De Ligt after first Man Utd goal and lifts lid on bromance with fellow summer signing

De Ligt faced the wrath of Ronald Koeman for a costly error against Germany and the centre-back was subsequently hooked off at half-time during the international break. The incident triggered a week of media scrutiny and his dismal performances against Brighton and Liverpool with United before the international break were also highlighted.

De Ligt silenced his critics when he opened the scoring for United against Southampton, which culminated in a 3-0 victory for the Red Devils. Zirkzee, who has a close relationship with his compatriot, was quick to join in the celebrations and admitted that he was thrilled for his teammate after a difficult week.

“It was nice to see him score. Matthijs is of course my buddy here. Also in the Dutch team,” he said in an interview with ViaPlay.

“It was a moment. Matthijs also jumped in front of me. I almost got his foot in my face afterwards. I was just super happy for him. I don’t really want to say it, but I think it was written about him in a difficult period because of what happened in the Dutch national team. I don’t think that had an effect on him. But I was just super happy for him. He also played great. He’s in the group. He’s great for us. I was just very happy.”

Under manager Erik ten Hag, the club has seen a growing presence of Dutch players and coaches. The manager has brought in staff like Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake to help him turn around the fortunes at Old Trafford. Zirkzee, in particular, has been benefiting from this Dutch influence, especially with the presence of Van Nistelrooy, the legendary United striker, who now works with the team.

“(It’s) Great. He’s been a striker. Detailed work. Watching footage. Looking back," he said. "The way he works with you. That’s very important. I can relate to that; You can learn a lot from him.”

However, when asked about the specifics of his learning from Nistelrooy, he remained tight-lipped: "I want to keep it a secret."

For De Ligt, his goal against Southampton may just be the start of a new chapter, where he leaves behind the recent struggles and solidifies his place as a key figure at both club and international level. Meanwhile, Zirkzee will be looking to add to his tally when United make a trip to Selhurst Park on Saturday to take on Crystal Palace.