Nani's Knuckled Down

Nani has delighted and surprised fans with his resurgent form in 2010, and team-mate Rio Ferdinand it's all rooted in hard work.

The Portuguese winger struggled for form and a place in the side in the first-half of the campaign, but Reds assistant Mike Phelan acknowledged this year that “the penny dropped”. Since then he's been one of United’s best players, scoring several eye-catching goals.

"Nani's really come on since Christmas,” says Rio. “He’s a young player learning the game and he’s got his head down and worked, really knuckled down. He’s seen the benefits of that by becoming an effective part of the team. The important thing is he’s producing an end product – scoring goals and setting up chances. Because of that he’s getting a consistent run in the team and any player benefits from that.”

If he continues his club form, Nani could be one of the World Cup's stars, and Ferdinand believes the sky is the limit for the 23-year-old. “Nani’s got the potential to do what he wants,” he adds. “He’s one of the sharpest players around, has a great strike with both feet - he’s got the potential to be a top, top player. If he continues the way he’s going he’ll be a great weapon for next season.”