We’re delighted to announce that Joshua Zirkzee is prime Messi in disguise

There can rarely have been a more frustrating Manchester United footballer than Joshua Zirkzee, persevered with as the talent is present, but written off as he rarely shows it

Since moving from Bologna two years ago, the 25-year-old has managed five goals in 56 Premier League appearances.

Indeed, Zirkzee’s time at Old Trafford is best remembered for his visible upset at being booed during a grim Amorim-era home defeat to Newcastle, his reaction upon being substituted curdling the anger into pity.

A goal in pre-season is unlikely to change anybody’s perceptions of the Dutchman, apart from ratcheting up the sense of paradox around him.

In fairness, it’s a bonafide beauty. Entirely wasted on a pre-season friendly in the watery sunshine of Norway.

If you’re as old as us, you may remember Rosenborg regularly qualifying for the Champions League group stage in the 1990s and early 2000s. None of Europe’s elite fancied a trip to wintery Trondheim.

Their current side could be sued under the Norwegian equivalent of the Trade Descriptions Act, a bunch of limited footballers mentally counting down the minutes until their ordeal was over.

Just like a family cat with an errant mouse, United toyed with Rosenborg before ruthlessly shredding them to shreds. Rarely has a 5-0 scoreline been more merited.

There was still a semblance of a contest at 1-0 when Zirkzee ambled into opposition territory, sending one Rosenborg defender for a hotdog with a casual shimmy.

Finding himself through on goal, United’s new Messi doppelganger did exactly the same thing to the goalkeeper, planting him on the ground before rolling the ball home.

The metaphorical chef’s kiss, if ever you’ve seen one. Cue a plethora of United fans wondering exactly where this has been for two years.

“That’s the best place to be as a footballer, when you’re in that zone and you’re confident, and that’s my job to try and get the players in that frame of mind,” said Michael Carrick afterwards.

“The senior players at this stage, they’re finding their way, but you can see they’re in a good place and kind of getting used to having good results over a period of time, which is good.

“And the younger players, when you see them expressing themselves and being themselves and keep pushing themselves to be better, I think some of the play in the second half was really, really good, and I was delighted to see that from them.”

While Zirkzee is continually linked with a return to Serie A, with Juventus said to be particularly keen, there could be some benefit to retaining his services in a season with a heavily increased fixture list.

United will need bodies, especially once the nights get darker and they step back onto the Champions League and domestic cup treadmill.

Their charmingly old-school tour of Scandinavia continues against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm next Saturday, as Carrick further assesses the squad.

There would be no tears shed if Zirkzee does leave Old Trafford, neither by the rapidly-depopulating group of season-ticket holders or the beancouning spreadsheet merchants in the boardroom.

But the talent is clearly there – would Carrick be wise and try to harness it?