£36m Man Utd flop dubbed a "match-winner" by his country's media after impact in Nations League win

Joshua Zirkzee came off the bench to score the winning goal as the Netherlands completed a UEFA Nations League double over Serbia with a 2-1 victory in Eindhoven on Sunday evening.

Teun Koopmeiners had opened the scoring with a free-kick just after the half-hour mark, although Serbia quickly responded through Mihajlo Cvetkovic, who headed home four minutes later.

Zirkzee replaced Mexx Meerdink at half-time and restored the Netherlands' advantage 20 minutes from time, converting Tijjani Reijnders' delivery from close range to earn Xavi Hernandez his second win over Serbia in the space of eight days.

The £36m Manchester United flop's decisive contribution earned widespread praise from the Dutch media, with one outlet going as far as labelling him the "match-winner" despite playing only 45 minutes.

What have the Dutch media said about Joshua Zirkzee?

Mee Met Oranje gave Zirkzee the highest rating of any Dutch player at 7.5/10, describing him as the player who "groeide uit tot de matchwinner" - grew into the match-winner. They also stressed that his performance was about more than simply scoring, saying that he made a "prima indruk" during his half of football.

The verdict was particularly positive given Zirkzee had barely featured for Oranje for two years before being recalled as a replacement for the injured Brian Brobbey. He was described as having seized his unexpected opportunity with both hands.

Sportnieuws.nl were similarly impressed, awarding the striker 7/10 and highlighting his "uitstekende indruk met zijn meevoetballende kwaliteiten" - an excellent impression through his ability to contribute to the build-up and link play. They also praised his movement and technical ability before describing the performance as "een fijne rentree bij Oranje", or a fine return to the national team.

Voetbal International were a little more measured, giving Zirkzee 6.5/10. They described his contribution as "verdienstelijk" and credited him for scoring the winner, although their top ratings went to fellow substitutes Gjivai Zechiël and Jorrel Hato.

VoetbalPrimeur handed Zirkzee 6/10, noting that he made a creditable impact and scored the decisive goal, but suggesting that he could still be "wat doelgerichter" - more direct and purposeful - in his play.

Could Joshua Zirkzee turn his fortunes around at Manchester United?

Zirkzee could hardly have wished for a better way to return to the Netherlands fold, and while one tap-in will not suddenly erase the frustrations of his United career, it could provide a much-needed confidence boost.

The 24-year-old has spent the majority of his time with Oranje on the fringes, making his decision to seize his opportunity against Serbia all the more significant.

United will hope that confidence now travels back to club level, with Zirkzee having the wind in his sails after being trusted by Xavi and rewarded with a decisive goal.

He still has plenty to prove at Old Trafford amid fresh reports of the club wanting to sell him in 2027, but a run of strong performances for the Netherlands could give the £36m signing the belief required to turn a difficult spell into a genuine revival.