'I literally sh*t myself' - Zlatan Ibrahimovic reveals toilet mishap on TREADMILL as AC Milan & PSG legend bizarrely admits he 'didn't stop running'

He could be considered to have taken that mindset to the extreme, with nobody going to question his effort while taking a toilet break. Ibrahimovic was, however, a performer that gave 100 per cent at all times.

That means never slacking or coming up with an excuse to get out of hard work. He would rather embarrass himself and end up in a bizarre situation than cut corners and leave questions open as to whether he could have pushed himself further.

That approach to life and professional football allowed Ibrahimovic to remain at the highest level until retiring with AC Milan at the age of 41. He will go down in history as one of the greatest forwards of his generation, with major honours collected in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and England, while also spending time in MLS with the LA Galaxy.

Telling Arena Sport about how he found it impossible to switch off, with his antics becoming the stuff of legend, Ibrahimovic said: “I was a bit wild, yeah. I’m going to tell you something now that nobody knows, and it’s a little awkward. When I came back after a knee injury, after breaking both of them, I was running on a treadmill. The workout was six fast intervals, two minutes each, with just three seconds of rest. That was the pace.

“I was almost at the very end when I suddenly felt the urge to go to the toilet. But I didn’t go to the toilet. While I was running, I literally sh*t myself, but I kept running because in my head I had to finish first and then go. But that’s who I am. I always said: ‘If I cheat, I cheat myself, not you’.”

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Ibrahimovic scored 511 goals over the course of his club career, across 866 appearances, while also becoming Sweden’s all-time leading marksman with the target being found at international level on 62 occasions through 122 caps.

He achieved just about everything that he set out to, with Champions League glory proving elusive, and has previously said of the approach that he adopted over the course of an iconic career: “The secret is not how much you spend, the secret is in your head - how much you want it, how much you’re willing to sacrifice. That’s the secret. It’s the mentality, and mentality doesn’t cost a thing.”

Having hung up his boots, Ibrahimovic is now filling an advisory role at San Siro for AC Milan’s ownership group. He is getting to work with USMNT star Christian Pulisic at Serie A heavyweights.

He is also keeping a close eye on the development of his son Maximilian’s career, with the 19-year-old attacking midfielder having left Milan to join Dutch giants Ajax on an initial loan agreement.

The talented teenager has said of following in the footsteps of his famous father: “I think my father is happy for me, but Ibrahimovic is just a name, I am Maximilian. I am my own person and player, and I want to write my own story. I feel good. I’m excited. Nice that my father also played for Ajax. I am happy that I have the opportunity to continue developing myself here as well. I am here to do my own thing. And I am really looking forward to that.

“This step is a great challenge. I will work extremely hard every day. Then we will see what happens. I want to be a good player for Ajax. To win and to improve. I work hard, and I like to win. I think I can entertain the fans well. I think they will enjoy seeing me.”