The Evolution Of Luis Nani

Having evolved into an integral component of United's attacking arsenal, Nani is central to Sir Alex Ferguson's plans for the future. The Portuguese winger spoke to Inside United for October's issue, discussing his standing in the dressing room, his personal ambitions and his chances of emulating Ryan Giggs' longevity...

There’s no mistaking the change in Nani. The nervous teenager who arrived at Old Trafford in 2007 mumbling answers through an interpreter is gone; in his place is a young man brimming with confidence, joviality and, most strikingly, conducting himself entirely in United’s native tongue.

The Portuguese winger’s sustained brilliance in 2010/11 bagged the players’ player of the year award last May, and that accolade marks a clear change in his standing within the Reds’ ranks. Moreover, it has sent his confidence skyrocketing.

“It was very important for me inside the dressing room, with my team-mates,” he grins. “It showed me that now everyone knows my position inside, on the team and how important I am in the team, how much responsibility I have for the team and the club as well. That’s making me more confident, making me happier, making me want more responsibility. Now I’m in the right position to do everything I wanted in the past. I have arrived in the position I want - respect – in the last two seasons.

“Last year was my best year, definitely my most consistent season. Now I hope this is my year. I will do my best. If I am fit for every game, I am 100 percent sure I will do my best and will do well for my team. This is a big chance to show I can do much more, that I’m a good player with a very strong mentality. I always work hard to be successful help my team to win titles.”

In a summer of change which has largely ushered in youth in the stead of experience, Nani has undergone a promotion to a position of greater responsibility within the team. It’s clear he appreciates the added pressure.

“It’s true,” he laughs. “I’m one of the old players now! This is my fifth season here and yes, five years is enough to learn everything about this club. I’ve been in the most important moments of this club in the last few years and it’s great, the life I’ve had here.” When fronted with the suggestion that he could emulate Ryan Giggs and be a part of the Carrington furniture well into his 30s, the winger laughs again. “It would be nice,” he nods.

The laughter is, however, absent when the subject turns to his compatriot, Cristiano Ronaldo. Portuguese winger, two-footed, similar age: the comparisons are inevitable. But nevertheless, Nani is clearly tired of being held up against the player who he regards as one of his closest friends – indeed, his best friend during their time together at United.

“For five years, every time the question is the same,” he smiles. “It’s all about Ronaldo. You have to be him. Are you doing the same? Do you think you can do it now? Always when I do something good it’s the same. When I do ok, it’s nothing. When I do something very good, they come with this question about him. But it’s ok. It doesn’t change anything in me.

“This is my fifth year here and people know what I can do. Sometimes I play a nice game, sometimes I play not such a fantastic game, but I think everyone knows me and what I can do. Maybe my form has to be more consistent and my performances in the past should be like that. Now I’m in this position I’m more confident, more consistent. I can do in 90 minutes what in the past I just did in 45, and that’s most important.

“I don’t need to show anything to anyone because I know who I am, which player I am and now I just need to put everything on the pitch. When I do that, I do it for me, for my family and for my team. Of course, I know when I do that, it’s always for the fans as well. They take everything good from the game. They love goals and skills as well, but I don’t do it for the media because when you try to do it for the media, nothing goes well. I think the most important thing is to be natural and play the way you are.”

A fair point, and hardly the words of a man labouring in Ronaldo’s shadow. There are, I point out, also clear differences between them. There’s certainly a convincing argument that Nani has a superior left foot to the Real Madrid star. His Community Shield brace was supplied in southpaw fashion, while seven of last season’s ten goals were left-footed efforts.

“I’ve worked a lot on it in the past,” he admits. “I’ve been working on it since I was young. My left foot has been good from a long time ago. But now I still make sure I practice with it, and that’s why last year I think I scored so many with my left foot.”

Blessed with such ambidexterity, is there a chance Nani could be utilised more centrally? “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he says. “When I was young I used to play midfield, number 10. In Sporting Lisbon I played number 10 as well, behind the striker. Everywhere. That’s a position that is no problem for me. The manager knows that. The manager knows I can play striker. When I was 19 at Sporting Lisbon, I started in midfield and would go to the right, then to striker, then to the left. Everywhere.”

That versatility may come in handy, with Sir Alex Ferguson adding Ashley Young to his brimming talent pool of wingers over the summer. Nani is unfazed, however, by the added competition. He’s seen enough of it in his time at United to appreciate its benefits. “It’s always been like that here,” he shrugs. “A lot of wingers and less positions! But everyone is going to fight to play and help the team. Every team has to have players to make a change, and it’s important for us too.

“It’s a good thing to have more players and more competition. I think we are better than last year. This year we will try to win more trophies than last season. Last year we did well but we just won the league. We will try to win more. We are proud to be champions, but we want to win even more this season. This year we will be more ready to play against every team.”

There’s no shortage of suitors for the Reds’ Barclays Premier League crown. Sir Alex Ferguson has tipped five other clubs to rival the reigning champions, and Nani also expects those familiar faces to stand between United and a record-extending 20th top flight title.

“It will be the same,” he opines. “City, Chelsea, Arsenal, it’s always the same. The league will always be decided in the last games. It’s always that way. The teams who can stay strongest in the last games will fight for the title.

“Chelsea are always a very experienced team with very strong players. Always the same. I think City will make the step up because they have new players. They need to find the team, but they have good players. We will see in the most important games.

"I don’t know about Liverpool. They made a lot of investment as well, but we will see. They are always strong at Anfield and very difficult to play there. It depends a lot. It’s all about the most important games because whoever loses less points in those games will have the conditions to win.”

And what of his personal ambition? If he can continue to play an integral role to United’s ambitions and meet his own demands of sustained improvement, is the ultimate ambition to become and be recognised as the best player in the world?

“That’s one dream I’ve got: to be the best in the world,” he nods, eagerly, before quickly adding: “But I don’t let it frustrate me.

"I’m not like: ‘I have to be the best in the world’, because I have other priorities like winning trophies with the team. Hopefully, when I have finished playing football, people will say ‘Nani was a fantastic player who won a lot of titles and beat records at the club’ or something like that. I know I have the condition to be among the select best players in the world, but I have to work hard and show that. Sometimes that doesn’t happen, but what I can promise is that as long as I am a football player, I will do my best to try to get there.”

Nani has arrived where he wants to be and he knows where he wants to go. With his growing confidence, ability and influence, you wouldn’t bet against him getting there.