Nani Committed To The Cause

Nani insists he is staying with United after revealing how his improved tactical discipline has impressed Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Portuguese winger has had to contend with speculation over his future following the arrival of Aston Villa's Ashley Young and he was grilled on that very topic by local media during a summer trip to Singapore.

"I don't want to talk about other players," Nani told The New Paper. "But I can tell you one thing - I just think about me and not others. This is most important. If I am good, I do not have to be scared of anybody, that's the thing.

"Am I staying at United? Definitely? Yes."

Nani's confidence in the status quo is underlined by his club - United have responded to journalists' questions about his future with strong denials that he could be sold in the wake of Young's arrival. The former Villa man is an addition to the ranks, not a replacement for Nani, and the latter very much looks forward to improving further at Old Trafford.

"[Last season] was my fourth year there," said Nani. "I [continue to] work with Sir Alex and, to tell you the truth, it's fantastic. I learn from the way he works because he has such a strong mentality and the discipline is very high. We have to do things perfectly - he likes [players to be] inch-perfect.

"When I arrived, I was playing well but I didn't have enough discipline in my game, that was maybe why I didn't play most of the matches. Now I can say I'm okay with discipline and very good at the things Sir Alex likes. It's maybe why I'm one of the players he believes in more."

Nani accepts Sir Alex's tough call to start him on the bench for the Champions League final against Barcelona at Wembley.

"I was a bit surprised," he said. "But this is football. It's not me making the decision. The manager makes the decision and you have to respect it.

"He has his office and it's not just for football but if you have some problems and need some help, he will always help. I've been there with him to speak and he's a very good person. He gives confidence to the players and it's very important in the big games."

Nani welcomed the appointment of Andre Villas-Boas as Sir Alex's counterpart at Chelsea but laughed at the suggestion he could link up with his fellow countryman at Stamford Bridge in the future. "That's a joke?" he replied.