Manchester United secured an important win at Goodison Park last night, coming from behind to beat Everton two goals to one.
The victory was also significant for United centre-back Victor Lindelof, who celebrated his 200th appearance in the red shirt.
200 sets in red. Pride day for me. Thank you very much for the support ???????? pic.twitter.com/7WhlWzdICL
— Victor Lindelöf (@vlindelof) October 9, 2022
Lindelof signed for United at the age of 22, in a deal worth just over £30m from Portuguese giants Benfica.
The Swede made 29 appearances in his first season, starting 25 times. He then went on to average more than 40 games over the next three seasons, racking up 40, 47 and 45 appearances, respectively.
Last season saw the centre-half play 35 times, which put him 4 short of the double century he has now achieved thanks to his 4 appearances under Erik ten Hag.
Now in his sixth season as a United player, Lindelof is playing with his third permanent boss, backing up the ups and downs Lindelof has faced during his time at the club.
Lindelof’s strongest season to date came in the 2020/21 campaign, in which he struck up a decent partnership with Harry Maguire, leading United to finishing second in the Premier League and reaching the Europa League final. which ultimately ended in defeat.
The realization that a second-place finish and runners-up in a cup final is considered a good season for United is likely to define Lindelof’s six-year spell at the club: good, but not good enough.
His physicality and aerial ability have often been questioned during his time at Old Trafford, most notably by the man who signed him, José Mourinho.
After leaving the club, Mourinho said Lindelof could “be bullied one-on-one in the box” and described him as “not very good in the air”.
Despite this, Lindelof’s attitude has rarely been questioned, his commitment to the cause has always been evident and he has delivered high-profile individual performances throughout his stay.
His skill on the ball has led to some eye-catching assists and he has become his country’s captain at United. Lindelof should be proud of his achievement, as he has given it his all for the past six years.
Although he doesn’t look like he’ll be the first choice under Ten Hag, Lindelof’s performance in his historic game last night was very solid and will give his latest coach confidence that he can be called upon when needed, throughout the season. season.
