Zlatan Ibrahimovic explains why he preferred being "hated" at Man Utd

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has admitted he had "fun" at Manchester United due to his "haters" after a two-year spell at Old Trafford that saw him win two major honours.

The Swede has played for many of the biggest clubs in world football and has impressed near enough everywhere he has been. with United were no exception and he helped inspire the Red Devils to the League Cup and the Europa League during the 2016/17 season.

Ibrahimovic did not cost United a single penny in terms of transfer fees, as the club enticed him to Old Trafford following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract in the summer of 2016. The striker went on to make 46 appearances across all competitions for United, netting a stellar 28 goals in the process.

The striker's debut season at the club was one that sealed his place in the hearts of the Old Trafford faithful, but the following campaign was littered with injuries. Despite this, Ibrahimovic clearly still has fond memories of his time in the Premier League.

The former Barcelona forward also explained how he went some way to silencing his critics while in the English top flight. "I had fun," Ibrahimovic told ESPN while reflecting on his time with the Red Devils. "I really enjoyed because when I came, everybody was against it. And then in England, they didn't like me.

"All these haters, after three months, they started to like me, I didn't like them anymore. I like people when they hate you because then they bring out the better of you. I had fun. [It] is a great competition, [an] amazing atmosphere."

The affection clearly goes both ways as Ibrahimovic admitted he still regards United as the best club in England. He added: "I'm happy I played for United, which I think is the best team