Di Maria Motivated By United No.7 Shirt

Angel Di Maria has reiterated his ambition to join the pantheon of legends that have excelled in the iconic no.7 shirt for Manchester United.

The Argentinian club-record signing has made an exceptional start to his Reds career with a series of mesmeric displays that convinced fans to vote him their Player of the Month for September, an award he collected with great grace and humility.

Having thanked supporters for their votes, Di Maria enhanced his growing reputation by scoring the opening goal in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Everton before providing the assist from which Radamel Falcao secured three more points in the Barclays Premier League.

While speaking exclusively to ManUtd.com and MUTV, the midfield magician explained why he is relishing the opportunity to wear such a famous shirt for United. “It is a source of motivation,” he claimed. “When you wear a shirt that’s been worn by the likes of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, it’s something you’re always going to be pleased about.

“The fact that the club have chosen to give me that shirt number also gives me a huge confidence boost, so that’s why I’m very happy to have this number.”

Di Maria is of course a former team-mate of Cristiano Ronaldo and the Real Madrid star, who left Old Trafford in 2009, had nothing but kind words to say about his former club when the pair discussed the Reds earlier this summer.

“Before we knew I was coming to Manchester, he told me it’s a massive club, I would be very happy here and it would be good for me," Angel recalled of his chat with Ronaldo. "At that time we didn’t know for sure that I was coming or not, so we didn’t go into great detail, but what he did say helped me greatly to make my decision.”

Although Di Maria is just five matches into his United career, he appears to have adjusted to the pace and power of the Premier League - which hasn't always been easy for South American players. Such a successful transition can be partly attributed to the training sessions laid on by Louis van Gaal, a manager whom Angel has a lot of respect for.

“We get on very well, he was one of the reasons I came here,” he explained. “I’m very grateful to him because he wanted to sign me. That makes me happy. Also, he’s a person who wants to win all the time, and to take the club back into the Champions League as quickly as possible, so the focus is very much on that. In every training session and every match we want to give 100 per cent.

“The sessions are different because here football is a lot more competitive, so you feel the physical aspects and the contact more. As a result you need to be 100 per cent fit all the time and ready for anything. I really like that. I like it when the manager takes games, and when we do work on finishing or free-kicks. It motivates you to train harder.”