Nani's Key Role

In his first few seasons at Old Trafford, Nani, like so many of his team-mates, found himself in Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow.

The promise was undeniable, but Nani struggled to replicate the sort of consistency we came to expect from his prolific compatriot. One week he'd terrorise defenders, the next he'd drift in and out of the game as he struggled to stamp his authority on the English league.

But ever since the beginning of 2010 - and this season in particular - Nani’s talent has yielded an unarguable return of goals, assists and game-breaking play. In short, he's become one of United's most influential and effective players.

There's little doubt the Portuguese winger is now an established attacking figure in Sir Alex's strongest XI. Combining elements of classic wing play – the pace and whipped crosses so crucial in the absence of Antonio Valencia – with the cut inside and a ferocious shot, Nani now has a full palette of attacking colours to choose from. And his strength with either foot means defenders are constantly kept on their toes.

No other United player is as effective striking from outside the box (Nani has netted four of the nine scored in total this term), he leads the Barclays Premier League assists table with 13 (15 in all competitions) and his 10 goals thus far is already a seasonal best. And, don't forget, there are still more than three months of the campaign to play.

If you drill down further and look at goals where Nani has played a significant role (eg. his defence-splitting pass at Blackpool to Darren Fletcher, which the Scot then squared for Berbatov to tap in, or the teasing cross at Stoke that Nemanja Vidic then headed back across goal for Javier Hernandez to nod in), you can add another seven goals to Nani’s 2010/11 scrapbook. That’s 32 vital contributions in 30 games.

Whichever way you slice it, there’s no doubt Nani has come of age.

Making progress
2010/11 (so far)
Apps: 22
Goals: 9
Assists: 13

2009/10
Apps: 23
Goals: 4
Assists: 10

2008/09
Apps: 13
Goals: 1
Assists: 4

2007/08
Aps: 26
Goals: 3
Assists: 6

Stats for league games only