At 35, he has played more minutes than many of his far younger teammates. As much as his efficacy in front of the goal, and the characteristic imagination in his play, his undimmed appetite for the battle has impressed.

On match day at Old Trafford, jerseys bearing his name and number dominate the stands. Behind the scenes, he has relished working with Mourinho again, and he has forged a firm friendship with his teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan, often dining with him, and Paul Pogba, in the city.

That trace of English exceptionalism has not been absent from all of the tributes that have flowed in his direction — the former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard said in December that Ibrahimovic is a “world-class player, and now he is proving it week in, week out” — but that England has fallen, and fallen hard, for its Swedish paramour is beyond doubt.

On Sunday, Gary Neville, a former United captain, described Ibrahimovic as a “beacon” for his old club, both on and off the field. Neville’s brother, Phil, another United alumnus, was equally effusive. Mourinho suggested that United fans might camp outside Ibrahimovic’s house to persuade him to sign on for another year.

All of those things that were once held against Ibrahimovic have now been inverted in his favor. That his shot-to-goal ratio — a measure of how ruthless he is when presented with a chance — is, at 6.8, a little higher than the likes of Arsenal’s Alexis Sánchez is not interpreted as inefficiency, but as proof of his ability to be in the right positions at the right time.

His bombast is no longer an object of disapproval and derision, but of admiration. When Ibrahimovic decreed that he would be not a king but a “god” in Manchester, or when he said after the E.F.L. Cup final that he was “expecting” to prove such a hit in England, he is not chastised for his arrogance, but is praised for his confidence. Conceitedness and charisma can be easily confused in the wrong light.