Joshua Zirkzee described his debut for Manchester United as a ‘dream’ come true after coming off the bench to score the winning goal in their victory over Fulham.

Zirkzee, who joined United from Bologna this summer in a £36.5 million transfer, had been an unused substitute in the Community Shield last weekend but made a significant impact under the floodlights, securing a 1-0 win for his new team.

Brought on for Mason Mount with 30 minutes remaining, Zirkzee quickly won over the fans by scoring the decisive goal in front of the Stretford End, finishing off a cross from Alejandro Garnacho.

‘Winning here in my first home game and scoring a goal, it doesn’t get any better,’ the Dutchman told Sky Sports. ‘I’ve heard that scoring at the Stretford End is one of the best experiences at Man Utd. I’m incredibly thankful and blessed to have experienced it in my first game. It’s an amazing feeling.’

‘At the end of the day we got the win, that’s all we wanted. I can’t really explain the feeling, it’s just very nice.’

Ten Hag called for patience of Zirkzee earlier this week, alluding to his limited preparation time in pre-season after being at Euro 2024.

But the forward, who counts Bayern Munich among his former clubs, feels right at home in England already.

‘I feel very warm here,’ he said. ‘It’s a great team. We want to achieve something great. It’s been amazing, it’s been a dream actually.

‘The manager told me to bring an energy and help the team as much as possible, just that.

“Manchester United is a massive club, and you should always aim for the best. That means giving 100 percent every day—that’s the plan. The atmosphere is really positive.”

Zirkzee became the sixth Dutch player to score on his Old Trafford debut for United, following in the footsteps of Jordi Cruyff, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie, Alexander Buttner, and Donny van de Beek.

It was a frustrating evening for United for much of the match, as they should have taken the lead earlier when Bruno Fernandes was twice denied by Bernd Leno from close range.

For Ten Hag, while there was relief in starting the season with a win, he was particularly pleased to see his new signing make an impact.

“Scoring is crucial for a striker,” Ten Hag said. “He needs to be in the right place to finish.”

“It’s just the first game, but it’s good for building confidence. I saw many areas where we need to improve, but that’s normal.”