Sir Alex: Anderson Is A Special Talent

Anderson is being tipped by Sir Alex Ferguson for a very bright career at Old Trafford, and the Reds boss has intimated that the Brazilian starlet will one day succeed Paul Scholes as United’s midfield conductor.

"He's been absolutely superb; the boy's definitely got something special,” says Sir Alex in the latest issue of Inside United.

The 19-year-old’s rapid emergence since making his debut against Sunderland in September mirrors his swift ascension through football’s ranks.

He was signed by Porto in December 2005 having played just five senior games for Gremio in Brazil. And he’d experienced barely half a season in Portugal before breaking his leg in 2006/07, by which point United had already seen enough.

“There was an urgency to get him once we'd scouted him,” added the Reds boss. “Even though he'd broken his leg and had been out for four or five months, [we had to move] because the reports were saying he was the best young player in the world.

“At the time I was saying, 'for god's sake, let's calm down a bit here'. I knew he had real potential but I didn't want to put labels like that on him.”

Anderson’s arrival at Old Trafford was announced in May 2007 – a mere two weeks after United lifted the league title – but he was an unknown to most Reds. Since then, he has proven beyond doubt that he has the potential to live up to his reported £17million fee.

“We've been delighted with him,” adds Sir Alex. “He's proven himself to be a true central midfield player. But there is some luck attached to it because, before Paul Scholes got his injury, I could have had a dilemma because Paul prefers to play on the left side in midfield, and Anderson's position is the same.

“But since he's come into the team he's just taken off. He can tackle, he's lightning quick, he's brave and he can pass the ball. What he's got to prove is his goalscoring ability, because that's something Scholesy's always given us.

“His battle with [Cesc] Fabregas against Arsenal was interesting because they were two very influential players in the game. I think the boy Fabregas is going through a golden period at Arsenal, but I thought Anderson dominated that position... he did very well for us."