Jasprit Bumrah gives heartfelt tribute to 'inspiration' Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the Sweden star retires from football

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah penned an emotional tribute to his idol, footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the latter retired from football on Sunday (June 4).

The 41-year-old AC Milan striker has hung his boots after an illustrious career which saw him winning trophies in four major leagues in Europe. The Sweden international bid an emotional goodbye to football after Sunday's Serie A match for Milan which they won 3-1 against Hellas Verona.

The striker has been carrying an injury the whole season and has only played 4 league matches this season. His final appearance for Milan came against Udinese in March, where he marked the solitary goal of the season.

The 122-time Sweden international completes his national team journey with 62 goals. Often known as a flamboyant striker, Zlatan is a legend who has produced many unforgettable moments on the football pitch. And among the millions of his followers, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah took to social media for a heartfelt message.

Bumrah, who is currently sidelined with a back injury, thanked the former Manchester United striker for being an inspiration in his life.

"For being a constant source of inspiration for me and helping me discover that lion-hearted never-back-down attitude, thank you. You've made outstanding memories through your time in the game that'll live on," Bumrah wrote in a tweet.

Ibrahimovic started his career with Swedish outfit Malmo, before making a move to Dutch side Ajax in 2001. Since then, he has played for some gigantic clubs in Europe, namely Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, PSG and Manchester United.

The lanky athlete also played for MLS side LA Galaxy for a couple of seasons and scored 53 goals in 58 matches for them.