Anderson: Next Year Will Be My Best

Anderson has been back on top form this season after returning from a serious knee injury and he wants to continue producing high quality displays for the rest of 2010/11. But he says he'll be even better with a full pre-season behind him...

Have you been pleased with your own form?
Yeah, I’m very happy. Recently I went on a good run and played seven games in a row before I was rested. My knee still isn’t 100 per cent, so I have to make sure I don’t overdo things. But that run in the team really helped me. I feel confident again. I’m playing well and I think next season I’ll be even better.

What is it that’s giving you such confidence?
I’m feeling good and I think my form will continue. I plan to work really hard in the summer. I feel like I haven’t had a good pre-season for a few years, so I’m looking forward to that. If I can get good preparation, I’m confident next year will be my best yet.

Fitness is obviously very important to English football…
Of course it’s a priority, but I think it’s more important to make the ball do the work. You don’t need to run all over the pitch – it’s much better to pass the ball well from one point to another. It can move faster than you can, so you should keep football simple and pass the ball as much as possible. In England, sometimes people think you aren’t very good if you don’t run around a lot. But I think that’s one of the reasons why England don’t do very well at the World Cup finals – they run about too much!

How pleased were you to sign a new contract in December, keeping you at United until 2015?
I was very happy because this club is the best place to be for a young player. I’ve won the Champions League, I’ve won the Premier League, but I want to win them again. I want to help make history here. I look at players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes and I want to do what they’ve done. I also want to thank the boss for having faith in me, and giving me this opportunity to stay for five years. I want to remain until just before I retire, when I hope to return to Brazil and finish my career at Gremio. That would be the perfect ending for me.

Some critics claim the standard of football in England is dropping…
I don’t agree. It’s true that every year Manchester United finish on top of the table or near the top – that’s not about to change. But clubs like Tottenham, Birmingham and Bolton are getting much better. A few years ago, we’d go to Bolton and everybody would expect us to win 4-0. Now it’s much tougher and you have to work harder to win matches. A lot of people hold up Spanish football as an example. Sure, Barcelona may win 7-0 every week, but they’re not going to places like Birmingham, Bolton or Fulham. You can’t compare the two leagues: for me, English football is the best in the world.

Should United be considered favourites for the title?
Definitely. We’re all happy with how things are going. United are top of the league and we have games in hand… we’re in an amazing position. We’re definitely capable of winning the title. I know we haven’t always played well, but if we perform badly and still win the game then that’s a good three points as far as I’m concerned. It’s nice to play attractive football, but it’s even better to win games.

We understand you helped Bebe settle into the English way of life…
Yeah, he stayed with me for two months. I can tell you, he eats a lot. He ate all my food! [laughs] He was a good guest, though. He’s a nice guy and funny. When I came to England, Cristiano Ronaldo helped me adjust, so I wanted to do the same with Bebe.

Another Portuguese speaker, Rafael, is suspended at the moment. How big a blow is that?
It’s a huge loss. Rafael is a big player. Not just him, but his brother Fabio, too. It’s not easy to leave Brazil as a young player, but they’ve done really well since arriving in England. In two years, Rafael will be the best right-back in the world. Mark my words.