Before joining Bayern Munich and Bologna, Zirkzee played a huge role for the Feyenoord academy in which the youngster developed into a versatile forward with a serious eye for a goal.
The Dutchman seriously impressed with both the under-16s and under-17s in the same season at Feyenoord, winning not just the league but also the cup whilst scoring a plethora of goals along the way.
In the summer of 2017, a move abroad looked more likely than a domestic move to Ajax or PSV Eindhoven and two clubs looked to be seriously interested in the forward.
Bayern and Everton were the frontrunners and Zirkzee said he was open to a move to the Merseyside club:
"Everton was a serious option for me, because Ronald Koeman was the manager of the first team and I didn't have many strikers in front of me at that time," he told me in an interview in 2019.
"Romelu Lukaku left for Manchester United that summer and Everton gave me a feeling there was a good chance to come through there. When I was there they offered me a contract straightaway."
Instead Zirkzee waited until an offer from Bayern was on the table and moved to the German side and at the time it felt like a bold decision.
"Around that time young Dutch players usually went to England," he recalled. "I was actually one of the first who went to Germany. I was like, this is something different, I would like to go for that challenge."
The striker proved to be a crucial player for Bayern and now has recently signed a deal with Manchester United.
If Everton had placed a better deal on the table or managed to convince the Dutch finisher to come to England then United would be without what will be a huge asset for next season.