DUBLIN — I will die on this hill: there is a real player in Joshua Zirkzee.

The Manchester United forward is exactly the type of player who relishes pre-season. With the pressure off, he glides around the pitch like Marty McFly on a hoverboard, revelling in showcasing his full back catalogue of fleet-footed skills.

When in pre-season mode, the goals flow. Another fine finish, this time a first-time strike in United’s 1-1 draw with Leeds in Dublin, continued Zirkzee’s decent run of form as we approach the start of the new Premier League campaign.

In these moments, when he is his true self, United supporters can see what he is capable of. Last season’s debut campaign was so stop-start – the club playing fewer games than ever and Zirkzee restricted largely to short cameos – that it was impossible for him to find any real rhythm.

By allowing Zirkzee to leave now – Juventus are lurking with intent – United would be letting go of a skill set nobody else in the squad possesses. Not even captain Bruno Fernandes.

And all the work that has gone into creating this finely-balanced strike force, which again showcased its potent threat at times, could be somewhat undone.

In front of a record attendance for a football match in Ireland, Croke Park was bathed in odd mood lighting as the match kicked off. Leeds’ defenders looked like they had stared directly at a solar eclipse as United danced in the dark during the opening 20 minutes.

At the heart of the free-flowing football was Zirkzee’s silky touch. Whether it was one touch here or a sashay there, what the 25-year-old excels at is bringing others into play with the drop of a shoulder, taking two defenders out of the equation at once.

The reason his incredible skill set leaves him open to a move away from Old Trafford is that, last season, the end product deserted him when he needed it most – during the fleeting opportunities he had to prove himself.

It was often a confidence issue. Either unwilling to pull the trigger, to a cacophony of groans from around the ground, or unconvincing when he did.

After 13 years in a dizzying spiral of decline, United fans are not patient enough to allow that to happen. Thus the majority would prefer to sever ties now, while United have the chance.

There is always one figure in every team who benefits most from pre-season. As his teammates enjoyed an extended holiday after the World Cup, Zirkzee has featured in every friendly after being omitted from the Netherlands squad.

It represents his longest run in the United side for some time. Even if the matches matter little, regular football can do wonders for the flow of a player who oozes rhythm when on song.

Zirkzee is also a well-liked figure in a United dressing room that looks more comfortable in each other’s company by the week.

As the celebrations took place after United picked up their second prestigious trophy of the year, the Boyle Sports Cup, to go alongside the Snapdragon title on the mantelpiece, Zirkzee was play-fighting with Kobbie Mainoo, who had not even been in the squad.

He enjoys a particularly close bond with Fernandes and Luke Shaw, too. Despite barely featuring in the team, there is something to be said for a player ostensibly this happy when left on the periphery.

Read more

The good vibes are another reason why Zirkzee could still have his uses. Loaning him out again achieves little in a year when the games could start to come thick and fast.

There is a player in there. His pre-season form proves that.

Now he has to do it when it matters.