“I thought he was non-existent” - Rio Ferdinand comments on display from Manchester United star in 2-1 win against Rangers

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes Joshua Zirkzee was non-existent in the first half against Rangers. The Red Devils locked horns with the Scottish side at Old Trafford on Thursday, January 23, in the Europa League.

Zirkzee started the game, only his sixth start under Ruben Amorim so far. The Premier League giants went ahead just after the break, courtesy of a Jack Butland own goal.

However, the visitors clawed back into the game in the 88th minute through Cyriel Dessers. Just when it looked like Manchester United were all set to drop points again, Bruno Fernandes scored the winner from a Lisandro Martinez cross.

Speaking after the game, Ferdinand acknowledged that Zirkzee improved his performance after the game.

"I thought he was non-existent in the first half to be honest but I thought he improved in the second half. He still wasn’t a real threat on the goal but they got their goal in the end," said Ferdinand.

The result helped Manchester United climb up to fourth in the Europa League table after seven games. The Red Devils are on the cusp of securing automatic qualification to the knockouts.

They next face Romanian club FCSB at the National Arena on Thursday, January 30, in their final game of the league round. A win will ensure they stay on fourth and qualify for the knockouts.

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How have Joshua Zirkzee performed since joining Manchester United?

Joshua Zirkzee

Manchester United reportedly paid Bologna £36.5m for the services of Joshua Zirkzee last summer. However, the Dutchman has struggled to live up to expectations with the Red Devils, registering four goals and three assists from 32 games so far.

Incidentally, he was booed off the pitch in the 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United. However, the 23-year-old redeemed himself by scoring the winning penalty in the FA Cup win over Arsenal.

Speaking ahead of Thursday's game, Harry Maguire spoke highly of Zirkzee.

"Josh is a good player and you don’t play for this club if you are not a good player. He has got to bring that belief and that confidence out of himself. In football, there is always another game and a next opportunity," said Maguire.

He continued:

"Josh came on against Arsenal and really changed the game for us and to score that winning penalty probably gave him a lot of confidence and belief that he belongs at this football club."

Zirkzee's contract with Manchester United runs until 2029.