📣 Exclusive: Berbatov on Osimhen at Man Utd and the problems at Spurs | OneFootball

Dimitar Berbatov: the epitome of cool.

The Bulgarian striker had a first touch to die for and a steely eye for goal which dropped jaws in a trophy-laden career spanning two decades and two continents.

This week the former Manchester United, Tottenham, Fulham and Bayer Leverkusen star sat down with OneFootball for an exclusive interview in which he spoke on the biggest issues affecting his former clubs this season.

Dimitar Berbatov and Ben Foster featured in Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s 2022/23 UEFA Europa League campaign content, Mission Masterclass’. You can view episode two in full here.

Sitting in fourth with one trophy in the cabinet already and another final on the way, Erik ten Hag has largely enjoyed a strong opening season at Old Trafford but Berbatov feels much of its success will be determined by what happens in the next few weeks.

“Let’s say if they qualify for the top four and win the [FA] Cup against [Manchester] City, you know, then that’ll be a great season in my book,” said Berbatov, speaking on behalf of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

“If they don’t win the FA Cup but still manage top four, it’s an OK season.

“If they don’t qualify for the top four, because the pressure is there now, then it’s not a good season.”

The former striker was also disappointed that they did not make the final of the Europa League but he has a suggestion as to why.

“It felt like the pressure completely got to them and quite quickly, and that’s obviously been a theme of their away form season.

“You need to know how to get the points even if you play badly. Because that’s what champions do. Sometimes you don’t and it is not your day … but United’s away form has obviously been bad and they need to work on that for the next season for sure.”

By the time next season rolls around the club may have new owners.

The question of United’s future owners is making the front and back pages right now and Berbatov has some interesting insights on how the players see it.

“When you’re a player, you try not to pay attention to stuff like this, but you do.

“The information is there. So even if you don’t want to, you can hear it, you can see it, you talk about it and stuff like this.

“The sooner that is finished, the better for everyone … [and] if they’ve been sold, they can start anew, with new owners and start to build. And when I say build, I’m saying it because I think Old Trafford needs to be renovated.”

So while there are questions to be answered about all that, there are no questions about which striker Berbatov would like to see join United this summer, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen – not Harry Kane – his number one choice.

“The goals he has scored, the speed of the game, he is just a natural born goalscorer. He knows exactly where to be on the pitch and how to score goals, and important goals well.”

While consistency, or a lack thereof, has plagued one of his former sides this season, Berbatov believes it has also plagued another in Spurs.

“I’m watching from the outside like anybody else now, and wondering what is happening because I said it many times before. They have one of the best stadiums in Europe. They have the training ground facilities. They have the players. And they still couldn’t find that [consistency] .

“There is a similarity with United in that regard in that the consistency for both clubs is not there and when that consistency is not there, you are going to suffer. When they needed to get the points, they just couldn’t do it. And I’m talking about against teams where you normally should win.

“With all due respect to the other teams, Spurs need to know how to get that ugly win from time to time. They cannot do it, and because of that, they suffer. And in the process everybody around the club suffers and everybody will again remind them that they haven’t won anything [since 2008].”

One team having a happier season is another of his old club’s: Fulham.

Their progression is a source of happiness for a man who believed the club could be so much more when he was there.

“I kept telling them, guys, we can be better, the stadium can be bigger, the training ground can be bigger, and now I see all of this happening,” he said.

“This season they’ve been unbelievable, playing football that you want to watch and you want to go watch.

“Marco Silva needs to get the credit for producing this type of football from his team. They have the confidence to play from the back, play difficult passes, dangerous passes. This is all down to the manager.”

While Berbatov is most known for his time in the Premier League, it was at Bayer Leverkusen that he “became a better football player and a better human being.”

He is hoping his former club can defeat Roma in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final this Thursday but he knows “it’s not going to be easy” against Mourinho’s side.

The dream was for Leverkusen to face off with United in the final but Berbatov will be there regardless and it is quite clear that he has lost none of his love for the game he made look so simple for so many years.