Hoorn: I’ll get to grips

SWANSEA have warned Zlatan Ibrahimovic to expect more tears of frustration as he tries to end to his goal drought at Swansea City today.

The Swans’ Mike Van der Hoorn insists he has learnt well from his last grapple with the Manchester United striker, when the Dutch defender failed to get a grip. That was in the Champions League two years ago when a rampant Ibrahimovic scored for Paris Saint-Germain in a 3-1 win over Ajax.

Van der Hoorn was a rookie 22-year-old and admits: “We played quite well and then, suddenly, Ibrahimovic just finishes in the far corner – a goal out of nothing and you’re thinking ‘how can he do that?’

“Overall, our trainer was satisfied with my performance. I won all my duels, but the one duel when I was just stood off behind him, he finishes you off.”

Those must feel like long gone halcyon days for Ibrahimovic, as he has just one goal in his last 11 appearances.

Not that Van der Hoorn – attempting to shore up a porous Swansea defence that has leaked 11 goals in five games – is expecting an easy afternoon.

“Ibrahimovic is the strongest player in the Premier League,” he added. “Besides that he’s good technically.

“He’s a guy of the moment – sometimes you don’t see him for the whole match, but suddenly he’s there and he finishes it.”