Zidane Iqbal interview: Ex-Man Utd Iraqi midfielder on World Cup dreams, Cristiano Ronaldo and more | Football news

“It will be a dream come true and I can’t wait,” said Zidane Iqbal Sky Sports. He is going to the World Cup and it is understandable that he is happy. The former Manchester United midfielder helped Iraq qualify for the first time in 40 years.

That 1986 look was way ahead of his time. “The 2010 World Cup is the first one I remember.” Didn’t Zinedine Zidane memorize his name in the 2006 final? “I saw the clips but I was only three years old!” Now Iraq is making their own memories.

“The amount of messages, the support we have is crazy.” Iqbal, who now plays for Utrecht but was born and raised in Manchester, is fit for his Iraqi mother and is a firm favorite after scoring a crucial goal against Indonesia in the qualifiers.

“To be honest, it was an unbelievable feeling,” he recalls. “It was surreal to score that goal because it was what I was waiting for.” Unfortunately, that alone is not enough for Iraq to reach the World Cup. They still needed a play-off win over Bolivia to end their relegation.

Iqbal sat that game on the bench. Having returned from a long injury, the coach planned to use him only if necessary. As it is, his teammates got the job done. He really found it difficult to watch. “When you play, the adrenaline takes over.”

The celebrations were special when Iqbal wore a sombrero that night in Mexico amid scenes of joy. He talks about the Iraqi group being “one big family” and receiving messages from around the world. You understand that this can be a life-changing experience.

Because of this, since then the focus has been on putting ourselves in the best possible shape for the World Cup. “To make sure I can be 100 percent.” Even on his days off, he had a one-on-one session in Manchester, determined to ensure it was a summer to remember.

Iraq will have to be up to the task in this World Cup but Iqbal is the one who can provide the spark. “I like to play football,” he said. “I like to swim. I like to play forward and coordinate the game.” That’s what took him all the way to the Manchester United first team.

Memories of Man Utd and Ronaldo

Iqbal signed for Manchester United at the age of eight and spent twelve years at the club. “I can say that I lived my dream when I was a child,” he said. In 2021, aged just 18, he made his first team debut in the Champions League against Young Boys.

“It was probably one of the best days of my life,” he admits. “I didn’t expect to come. I just thought I would warm up, sit down and watch the game.” Instead, he was introduced to the end times. “The ball took forever to come out!” And he made history.

Iqbal was not only the first South Asian to play for United but the first to play in the Champions League. “I just focused on football, not to be the first in this and that, because it was my dream,” he admits. “But it’s good to know that you can encourage children.”

While that taste of first-team action at United was the highlight, the highlight of his career at the club, it was the everyday things that stayed with him too. Iqbal had the opportunity to train alongside the best player in Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Seeing someone you played with in FIFA and training with him at the time was crazy. Just watching and trying to learn from him, just him being there. It’s hard to explain because he’s probably one of the greatest, if not the greatest.”

What did he take from seeing Ronaldo in action? “Just his mentality, his focus, he takes things seriously. But he’s also a nice, calm guy. When people ask me how he is and how he talks to the boys, he talks. He’s like everybody else. He’s cool.”

Moving to Utrecht

The decision to leave Manchester United was his own. A loan was an option but Iqbal was ready for the next step. “I thought I needed to go out and prove myself.” The Netherlands just felt right. “The best league I can go to. Technical.”

His time at Utrecht was interrupted by two injuries. “But I came back stronger than both of them.” What is important is that he has had the kind of experience, in the Eredivisie and in Europe, that has accelerated his game to another level.

“It’s very different,” he explains. “The stadiums are full. You are playing for points. The pressure is increasing on the fans to play well. If you are not playing well, you will know about it. When you play in the U21, it is family and friends in the stadium.”

For example, he adds: “Our tunnel to the dressing room has glass windows on each side, so we can see the fans. If you lose at halftime or don’t have a good game, other players can get some abuse. I have matured as a player and as a person.”

It’s that off-field aspect that has tested him the most. Moving to another country just after turning 20 was a big step. “When you get there, the truth hits you. You have to do this and that. There won’t be cereal and milk in the fridge for the weekend.”

Now 23 years old, he admits it was a challenge. “If you wake up on your day off and the house is empty, that’s the main thing.” But he is proud of the way he took on that challenge. “Living alone, I have grown up a lot.”

After three years of being gone, the call home is growing. Iqbal has one year left on his contract but has returned to England. “I just remember here. We’ll see what happens.” However, before all that, there is a little story about the biggest show in the world.

‘We have a team of death’

The drawing was not at all kind. “We have a team of death,” Iqbal said with a sinister smile. Iraq begin their campaign against Erling Haaland’s Norway before taking on France. “Their team is amazing.” The last group game with Senegal.

Iraq coach Graham Arnold likes to call the system a team of excitement or a team of opportunity instead and that’s how Iqbal likes to look at the situation. “As a group, we are all fighters. Therefore, we may be able to shock some people,” he said.

“No one expects us to leave the team, so we have a little pressure on ourselves. I probably prefer a team like this because you get to practice against top players and you can compare your level with theirs. You have to always bounce back.”

Iraq’s journey to the World Cup was difficult. “We broke that 40-year curse.” Now, their boy from Manchester is just looking for a special moment. “Football is not played on paper. There have been riots before. Why can’t we?”