Zlatan Ibrahimovic surprises Thai soccer players

Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Galaxy star Zlatan Ibrahimovic made a surprise appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to visit the Thai youth soccer players who were trapped in a cave.

The coach and 12 players from the Wild Boars soccer team were rescued after 18 days trapped in Thailand's Chiang Rai province in July. Monday's appearance was the first in-studio showing for the team since the incident.

The boys said they are feeling completely healthy and fine. They said they went into the cave and were expecting to be inside for an hour, before trying to exit. Then they realized that the water was too high to leave the area. They also said that they weren't scared and didn't lose hope.

To remain calm, the coach told the boys to pray and meditate. They also conserved energy while meditating. They were able to sleep on and off. It took about eight hours for each rescue.

Four of the players had birthdays during the ordeal.

While the birthdays weren't celebrated at the time, Ellen provided some gifts. Each one of the players received a customized soccer jersey with Ellen's face on it. The boys also said they were fans of Ibrahimovic.

And out he came.

The Galaxy striker emerged from backstage and greeted the boys. He provided a gift package including hats, soccer balls, jerseys and jerseys. The boys also received tickets to a Galaxy game.

"I thought I was brave but this team is braver than me," Ibrahimovic said. "They showed collective teamwork and patience and faith ... This is probably the bet team in the world."

Ibrahimovic is second in Major League soccer with 23 goals on the season.