Nani Feels At Home

Nani tells Inside United about his stunning form since the turn of the year, how he’s matured, and his footballing education on the streets of Portugal...

Was last season your best for United personally, even though it ended disappointingly for team?
Yes, it’s fair to say that. Last season was important for my confidence. I was pleased with how I played during the second half of the season and I want to keep improving each year.

You seemed to hit top form suddenly when you came back from injury in January. Was that a result of anything that happened on the pitch or in your life, maybe something somebody said, or did it just click together by coincidence?
I had a chat with the manager about things, but I knew myself that when I came back from injury I had to change something because I wanted to play, to improve and to show everyone what I can do. Once I got fit I worked hard every day in training and the manager saw that. He spoke with me and told me my chance would come and when he gave it me everything went from there.

Did you feel the support growing for you from the fans as you put in performance after performance?
It’s always nice to hear the fans get behind you and they gave me a lot of support last season which I am very grateful for. Their backing gives me even more confidence to go out and perform to my best in every game.

The manager has said he expects you to build on your efforts last season – do the high expectations he and other people have put extra pressure on you or is it something you enjoy?
He says that because he believes I can get better and that gives me great confidence. He knows I can do even better and so do I; I expect a lot from myself and I have to work hard to achieve that. I feel sharp and strong and I hope I can help the team enjoy many great moments this season.

How do you compare the Nani of now to the one who joined the club in 2007?
Now I’m a bit older I’m more experienced and I definitely have more confidence. This season is my fourth at the club and it really feels like this is my home now.

You said recently that when you first joined you were so excited to be playing with big stars – looking back were you slightly overawed by everything and did that affect progress initially?
It was just a big change for me. Of course, I was excited, but it was hard in some ways because you have a lot to adjust to. I didn’t know the language, the food was different and even getting used to driving on the other side of the road took time! I was on my own as well as my family had stayed in Portugal, but at the same time I was very lucky that I had Anderson, Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Carlos [Queiroz] at the club. We could chat together in Portuguese and I learnt a bit of English every day with Ronaldo and Carlos. As I said, now this feels like home and I’m very happy here.

Do you still consider yourself a young player or do you find yourself handing down advice to the younger lads in the squad?
I know I’m still young in terms of my age, but in my head I feel a bit older now. I’ve learnt a lot in my time here and whenever I think I can help the younger players I always try to give them advice.

What do you remember about your days playing football on the streets of Amadora in Portugal?
When I was younger all I thought about was football. I would get up early to go out and play and not come back until late. I wouldn’t bother coming in for lunch, I would just be out playing football all day. They were good times, but sometimes it wasn’t easy because the area where I lived was a tough place. There were some problems there and I had to be strong to make sure I just concentrated on football and never got distracted and had my head turned to go the other way. I was very lucky that I had football to focus on.

Did you always believe you’d make it as a professional?
It was always what I dreamt of doing. I have one brother, Paolo Roberto, who is five years older me and he was the one who got me into football when I was younger. He was a good player back then, the best in our area in fact, and he taught me everything. My father was in Cape Verde at the time and couldn’t come back Portugal, so my brother was like a second father. He was my inspiration.

You’re renowned for your fancy footwork – did you spend a lot of time learning and practising tricks and flicks as a youngster?
Yes, me and my friends would spend hours practising in the street. We would watch all the great players on TV – I remember watching a lot Ronaldo and [Luis] Figo when they were at Barcelona - and try to copy their tricks. The skills you learn give you the confidence to play football, but the rest you have to learn at a club. I was very lucky to join a club like Sporting [Lisbon] because they taught me about the rules of the game and looked after me very well.

What was early life like at Sporting and was it a good place to learn your trade?
I learnt so much whilst I was there. There was always someone there to explain to me about things I wasn’t sure of and to help me make the right choices and never get distracted by anything bad. The people at the club taught me to do the right things on the pitch and I will always be grateful for their support.

We heard that you visited Old Trafford with Sporting before you joined – did you ever imagine you’d become a United player?
[Laughs] I remember that visit - I came with my friend and we did the tour of the museum and the stadium. I remember sitting in the first team dressing room and both of us saying ‘wow, this is Ronaldo’s place’ and ‘this is where Rooney and Giggs sit!’ We sat there and said ‘imagine what it would be like to be part of this dressing room one day,’…and then two years later I was here!

So, playing for United had always been an ambition of yours…
It was just a dream really. I didn’t really believe it until I actually arrived. It was a great feeling when I signed. That friend, who was with me on that first visit to Old Trafford, came to stay with me in Manchester after I joined United and we laughed about what we’d said when we sat in the dressing room. It just felt amazing to be at United as one of their players.

How confident are you feeling about United’s title chances?
There is a big motivation to win the league every season and we’ll be working very hard to try and do that. I think it’s too early to say if it will be just ourselves and Chelsea challenging - I think we’ll have a better idea around November/December time.

Are there any matches you are particularly looking forward to playing this season?
I look forward to every game and I want every game to be special this season. When you play for Manchester United you want to win every match and we hope we can win enough to bring the title back to Old Trafford.