Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Manchester United striker revealed to be a keen hunter who once shot a 1,100lb elk in Sweden
Former Sweden striker was criticised by animal rights groups for killing elk in ski resort of Are in 2014
ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC is not just only a brilliant shot on the field - he is off the field as well.
The Manchester United striker, who arrives at Old Trafford with 454 goals in 793 club and international matches, is a keen hunter and can often be found with a rifle on his shoulder in the Swedish wilderness.
In fact Zlatan, who will wear the No 9 shirt at the club next season, is apparently so good with a rifle that he has been at the centre of an animal rights storm.
The 34-year-old, who has held a hunting licence since at least 2010, was heavily criticised in Sweden for shooting and killing a 1,100lb elk near the home he owns in the Swedish skiing resort of Åre.
However, Ibrahimovic will soon learn that gun laws are much stricter here than in Sweden.
RELATED STORIES
Mike Weatherhead, chairman of the Pennine Shooting Sports Association, which runs 15 miles outside Manchester, said they had yet to receive an application from the striker.
And he won't be getting any special treatment.
"We are a Home Office approved Club and all membership applications are therefore subject to the procedures and approval process set out in the Home Office guidelines.
"As far as I am aware we have had no application for membership from Mr Ibrahimovic but if we were to it would be considered in the same way as any other new membership application."
Ibrahimovic shooting the elk became front page news in Sweden in Christmas 2014.
A source told the newspaper that the striker had been "very happy" with the kill after shooting the 500kg beast with "one shot through its heart."
However, Camilla Björkbom of Sweden's Animal Rights' Union said that Ibrahimovic's actions were "problematic".
She said: "It is always problematic when famous people do things like that, because then it looks like they support this type of activities."
Earlier in 2014 Ibrahimovic had appeared in an advert for Swedish car firm Volvo where he went on a hunting trip and, eventually, elected not to shoot a moose.
Ibrahimovic's hunting exploits had earlier hit the after it was reported he had bought a whole island known to be fertile ground for hunters.
In 2012 Ibrahimovic was said to have bought the island of Davensö, west of Stockholm, which sits in the centre of Lake Mälaren, the third largest lake in the country.
His love for hunting first came to light in his explosive 2011 autobiography 'I am Zlatan', where he described the pursuit as an addiction.
He wrote: "...Those things gave me kicks, and even though I've never done any drugs, there's probably an addict inside me. "I get lost in things.
"Now it's hunting."
The striker continued: "But back then it was Xbox and a new game came in November that year. It was called 'Gears of War', and I went insane. I'd lock myself up.
"I built a gaming room and sat there hour after hour and it could be three, four in the morning, and I really had to take care of myself and not turn up at practice like a wreck."
Ibrahimovic is known to enjoy a variety of wilderness pursuits, he is also a fan of fishing and hiking.
Ibrahimovich is not with Jose Mourinho and the rest of the squad on the pre-season tour of the Far East.
He is expected to play for the first time in red in Sweden against Galatasaray on 30 July.
United play their second pre-season game of the summer against Borussia Dortmund late on Friday.
Mourinho will then meet rival Pep Guardiola again on Monday when United face noisy neighbours Manchester City, again in China.
The club have two more matches after the Galatasaray game - Wayne Rooney's testimonial against Everton and the Community Shield against Leicester City - before starting their Premier League campaign at Bournemouth on 14 August.