Zlatan talks like the Terminator, says Northampton's Zakuani

Manchester United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been likened to the Terminator by Northampton Town defender Gabriel Zakuani.

The Swede came off the bench for the final 35 minutes of United's 3-1 EFL Cup win over the Cobblers on Wednesday, giving Zakuani a first-hand look at the imposing forward.

What struck Zakuani the most was Ibrahimovic's apparently odd way of speaking, which led to the comparisons with the time-travelling cyborg famously played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"He talks a lot on the pitch, but he talks a bit like a robot, kind of like Terminator. It's sort of in slow motion," Zakuani told BBC World Service.

"You can see his influence on their team. He'll tell a few of the players that are rushing past him to just calm down and relax on the ball.

"You can see straight away that he has the respect of everyone at the club."

The win at Sixfields ended a three-game losing streak for Jose Mourinho's side, who return to Premier League action at home to champions Leicester City on Saturday, having beaten them in the Community Shield last month.

Ibrahimovic, who netted the winner in that game, has scored four goals from his first five English top-flight appearances, helping United to seventh in the table.