When your manager is Jose Mourinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is leading your line, you can only go so far wrong.

The eccentric duo first starred alongside each other at Inter Milan in 2008-09 before reuniting at Manchester United with Ibrahimovic fresh from signing a new contract at Old Trafford.

The return of the Swede could be the final push needed for the Red Devils in a Premier League title race that already looks a two horse race with their 'noisy neighbours.'

Moreover, although Ibrahimovic claims to be some kind of Benjamin Button and is better than most 36-year-olds, his final campaign with Inter might just endure as his footballing zenith.

It's no wonder that Barcelona came knocking that summer with £59 million and the prospect of starring alongside Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi on the table.

However, it wasn't all plain sailing for that furiously efficient Ibrahimovic-Mourinho combination with the Swedish striker having one persistent problem with his boss. Namely, that he would never celebrate his goals. 

He explained in his autobiography: "He was a master at manipulating the team, and there was just one thing that really bothered me: his facial expression when we played.

"No matter what I did, or what goals I scored, he looked just as ice-cold."

Not even scoring the Serie A goal of the season v Bologna prompted Mourinho to produce a smile, with Ibrahimovic lamenting: "But Mourinho, what did he do? He stood there in his suit with his hands by his side, completely stony-faced."

Nevertheless, before the 35-year-old departed for Barcelona, there was one goal that prompted a celebration from Mourinho and it was the strike that made him top scorer that season.

He revealed: "The man who never batted an eyelid had woken up. He was like a madman. He was cheering like a schoolboy, jumping up and down, and I smiled: I got you going, after all. But it took some doing."

And if you're going to secure a Golden Boot, you might as well do it in style - check out the filthy back-heel Zlatan wrapped up the award with (skip to 3:00):

No wonder it made Mourinho celebrate!

You've got to admire the United boss for his tactics with Ibrahimovic at Inter, holding out on a reaction until his striker truly impressed him and achieved something special. Zlatan delivered.

Do you think Zlatan should start for Manchester United when he returns? Have your say in the comments section below.