Noussair Mazraoui has revealed his career-best longevity this season is down to cutting out fizzy drinks from his diet.
The full-back has made 55 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United this campaign, already seven more than his previous highest for Ajax in 2018-19.
Mazraoui averaged 31 games in his six seasons as a first-team player at Ajax and Bayern Munich, but he has dramatically increased his output despite moving to a league considered the toughest physically in Europe.
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“Yeah, you would say that it’s strange to play even more games,” Mazraoui accepted. “I changed some things, some small details. I think in the top of football, details really matter.
“I’m not drinking any sodas anymore. Fizzy drinks. It changes a lot, I think, because the sugar, you don’t get it in your body anymore. So just water makes a huge difference eventually.”
Mazraoui took the decision himself, rather than rely on advice. “It was just to try to see if there’s any difference,” he said. “I know sugar is really bad for your body, but it’s really nice to have a little drink of it with dinner.”
Should United beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, Mazraoui will “of course” allow himself some bubbles, non-alcoholic due to his Muslim faith.
Signed from Bayern last summer in a deal worth £12.8million plus £4.3m in add-ons, Mazraoui has enjoyed a positive debut season on a personal level, hitting 2,828 minutes in the Premier League, second only to Bruno Fernandes for outfield players, and featuring in seven different positions — right and left wing-back, full-back, centre-back and, unexpectedly, No 10 when United faced Fenerbahce. “To play No 10? Yeah, it was a surprise,” he said. “I did it a really long time ago before that moment.”
Mazaroui is still figuring out his roles as centre-back and wing-back in Ruben Amorim’s system. “In the right centre-back, I really like to go forward with the ball, so in the build-up and break the lines. I’m comfortable on the ball,” he said.
“Wing-back, a lot of times you come in a right wing position. For that, you really need like Amad one-v-one skill. That’s maybe not my biggest strength.
He added: “In the beginning, some things were not going automatically. So instead of going forward, you had to go on the break and stay in your position. But eventually, now after a couple of months, this system, everybody knows what to do.”
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Amorim has delivered some brutal words about his United team, currently 16th in the Premier League on an eight-game winless run, but Mazraoui appreciates the honesty. “I like him a lot in that [respect]. He’s really honest, really straightforward, he’s not hiding for anything.”
Mazraoui has won titles in the Netherlands and Germany, and believes that even though United have sunk to unprecedented lows domestically they can be proud should they beat Tottenham Hotspur to win the Europa League.
“Winning a trophy is never easy. I think in any case you don’t downgrade that, because you have to fight hard to get into the position to win a trophy. You have to beat opponents who are strong and who are also really hungry to be in that final.
“Eventually, I think if you look back at your career, at this season, you’re going to be proud of winning, if we win on Wednesday, the Europa League, more than you’re going to look at the failure in the Premier League.”
(Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
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