Zlatan Ibrahimović Offers More than Just 'Experience' for AC Milan

Zlatan Ibrahimović has never been short of self-belief.

Yet, there were plenty rather less confident of the imposing striker's ability to cut it at the top level when Ibrahimović moved back to AC Milan in January. The then 38-year-old had spent the past 18 months - in his own words - 'conquering' MLS with LA Galaxy but his last season in Europe was played out mostly in Manchester United's treatment room.

However, as is his want, Ibrahimović proved the doubters emphatically wrong upon his return to top flight European football.

Milan rewarded their veteran's performances with a one-year contract extension but upon signing the deal, the club's new number 11 was keen to stress that he is 'not here to be a mascot'. The 6'5 forward became the oldest player to hit double figures for Serie A goals in a season and started Milan's final nine games of the season.

He may turn 39 in October but Ibrahimović's industrious output, coupled with his surprising durability during a condensed calendar, hint that he certainly offers more than the intangible quality of 'experience'.

In 18 Serie A appearances, Ibrahimović racked up an impressive ten goals (only two of which were penalties) and five assists. To allay any suspicions that the Milan frontman was simply capitalising upon tired defences, 16 of those games were starts.

The Swedish star's underlying numbers were equally strong and suggest that his eye-catching goal contributions were not the result of a finishing hot streak from either himself or his teammates. Ibrahimović ranked fifth for combined expected goals and assists per 90 among Serie A players to have featured for more than 900 minutes last season.

As the elongated 2019/20 campaign finally neared its conclusion, Ibrahimović made the tongue-in cheek suggestion: "We would have won the Scudetto if I’d been here since the start of the season.”

While this is exactly the type of quip an auto-generated Zlatan quote dispenser would have spat out, the Rossoneri did remarkably improve after their former player returned.

Milan's final game of 2019 was a humbling 5-0 defeat at the hands of Atalanta - the club's heaviest loss in all competitions since 1998. However, only one team in Serie A - incidentally, Atalanta - has scored more goals and won more points than Milan since the turn of the year (and Ibrahimović's arrival).

In July, the club's manager Stefano Pioli admitted that the veteran forward has been 'instrumental' to the team's growth, a sentiment shared by many of the club's players.

Pioli - who successfully engineered a remarkable U-turn - deserves praise for successfully installing a two-man midfield which prompted improved performances from a number of players. However, the main beneficiary of this tactical tweak directly cited Ibrahimović's influence on him and the team as a whole.

The former Arsenal man Ismaël Bennacer flourished as a central midfielder alongside Franck Kessié when Milan switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation last season. The 22-year-old stressed the standards Ibrahimović's arrival prompted, telling The Athletic: “He demands perfection. Always. You can’t make mistakes when Zlatan’s around. He makes you a better player. That’s how we all think about it anyway.”

Bennacer was not the only Milan player who visibly improved in the second half of the season. Fellow forward Ante Rebic outscored Ibrahimović in Serie A by a single goal - all 11 of which came following the Swede's mid-season arrival.

Rebic was purchased by Milan in the summer of 2019 on the back of a productive campaign with Eintracht Frankfurt as the German club reached the Europa League semi-final. The Eagles boasted a three-pronged attack of Rebic, Luka Jović and Sébastien Haller. Rebic often held a deeper starting position, attacking the space created by the adept link play of Haller.

Ibrahimović offers a similar focal point and the pair have combined well both on and off the pitch. Rebic detailed his senior teammate's impact ahead of Milan's thrilling 4-2 victory over Juventus in July, telling Sportweek (via Goal): "Ibra is a leader. Before the Juve match he said to us: ‘I will show Juventus players how to play football.’ It was his way of firing us up. He has brought so much to everyone."

As well as a rousing pre-match speech, Ibrahimović scored Milan's first and assisted the club's equaliser in that Juve clash. While his leadership, experience and other vague off-field qualities may certainly possess some importance, Ibrahimović is still utterly capable of directly influencing proceedings on the pitch.

It may have been a decade since he led the line for Milan when they last won the title, but - along with the staggering hubris of his media persona - Ibrahimović remains a very real threat for those on the field unfortunate enough to come up against him.