JOSHUA Zirkzee is determined to prove the lowest moment of his career was his Manchester United turning point.
Dutchman Zirkzee was left shedding tears of frustration and despair when he was hauled off to a crescendo of jeers from travelling United fans just 33 minutes into the nightmare mauling at Newcastle in December.
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Skipper Bruno Fernandes upbraided the supporters in a major show of support for the £36.5m signing from Bologna.
Even so, both Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund found their performances under scrutiny as they struggled to transfer their Serie A form to the Prem.
But as he prepared for his second United season during the club’s US tour, Zirkzee, 24, plans on making a splash for the right reasons this time round.
The Feyenoord academy product conceded: “I don’t think I’ve shown my best form since I joined.
“I’m not here to decide what’s fair and unfair, I just know that Rasmus and I can do better and have to do better. That’s all I can say about that.
“After what happened at Newcastle there was a great support. I was really thankful for that.
“To get support like that from the fanbase is something you don’t see every day.
“I can’t remember a specific moment but the guys are always there for me.
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“Bruno, of course, is the captain. We’ve got a great group and we’re all there for each other.
“Every individual wants the best for all of us. In that case I can lean on a lot of guys in the team.
“But what happened after that makes you appreciate it more and makes you want to go out there and give even more for the club.
“The only thing I can say is thank you for that. But ‘thank you’ is words and they’d rather see some actions on the pitch. That’s what we’ve got to work on.”
Zirkzee’s preparations for the new season have been disrupted by a “small injury”, and he has been spotted across a number of fan and community events since United’s arrival in the USA.
But he is also convinced that the pre-season campaign, with new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo on board, represents a fresh start for all of Amorim’s squad.
Zirkzee said: “Yeah, we’re definitely bonding a bit differently than we did last season.
“It’s small things with the group. It can be playing cards, having dinner together, stuff like that to get a bit closer to each other and appreciate each other a bit more.
“That’s what’s going on at the moment and it’s up to us to keep hold of that good energy and good vibes.
“It’s not like we’ve spoken to each other and set out exact goals.
“We all know the size of the club and who we are as players and we all know we have to be better. We all know what the club deserves so you can sort of figure it out for yourself.”
