Nani: Trick And Treat

Since 2007, Manchester United winger Nani has struck fear into the hearts and minds of Premier League defenders, terrorising them from either flank with his seemingly infinite box of tricks.

As the world celebrates Hallowe’en, we thought it a good idea to sit down with the Portuguese showman and quiz him on the art of learning new skills…

Who is the most skilful player at the Aon Training Complex?
We have a number of skilled players in the team but I’d like to hope that I can say I’m up there with them. It’s close, that’s all I can say!

Was there a player whose game you tried to copy as a child?
For me, it was always Deco. At the time, I used to play in midfield so I was wearing the no.10 shirt. I was in his position and was trying to play the same as him. At that time, he was the best player for me, I loved him.

What advice would you give to young Reds wanting to learn your tricks?
There are lots of different players. Some have got skills, some have passing ability and others have vision. For the ones with the skills, it normally comes naturally. You learn a little bit more when you watch others or when you play against good footballers, even in the street. You see them and try and copy afterwards. Kids need to be natural and try to do things by themselves. But, if they like certain players or skills, like I did, they should try to emulate them.