Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Manchester United striker has 45 goals in in 50 games in 2016 – behind only Lionel Messi in the big five leagues
Manchester United striker, 35, defies critics with opener in the 1-1 draw at Everton to prove he's Jose Mourinho's main man
ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC bows to no-one in the goal lists this year - apart from Lionel Messi.
Manchester United's 35-year-old striker defied fears over his age yet again with his 45th goal in 50 games this calendar year, a fine opener in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Everton.
The Swede has now notched 12 since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
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And before that Ibrahimovic netted at almost a goal a game for PSG.
Yet Old Trafford legend Paul Scholes claimed a fortnight ago that Ibrahimovic was too old to be United's main frontman.
Scholes argued that the fomer Milan and Barca hero's key role should be to help England's teenage forward Marcus Rashford develop.
And he also suggested that Atletico Madrid's France attacker Antoine Griezmann would be the ideal long-term leader of the line for United.
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Scholes said then of Ibrahimovic: "As special as he is now, I don’t think he should be the main one.”
But Ibrahimovic's record still compares with the cream of Europe's striking talent.
Messi has 19 goals in 17 games this term, while Real Madrid's key man Cristiano Ronaldo has 12 from 16 matches.
Ibrahimovic's best goal ratio has come in his 30s.
He fired 113 in 117 Ligue 1 games for PSG, where he also totalled 36 in 40 cup matches.
But his peak years were spent in the tougher environments of Italy and Spain.