Darmian Already Proving Popular

"No-one wants to grow up and be a Gary Neville."

So Jamie Carragher once commented on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. The former Liverpool defender was making the point that full-back is one of the less glamorous positions and, as Neville played behind David Beckham on the right flank, it is easy to appreciate why the Anfield stalwart said it.

However, Manchester United fans have always respected and admired the players who've nailed down those cornerstone roles in the back four. Denis Irwin remains a hugely popular figure – at a recent school visit as part of his work with the club’s Foundation, one of the teachers was visibly tongue-tied and star-struck at meeting his idol.

You could go further back to Shay Brennan or consider recent examples such as Patrice Evra and Rafael, whose infectious personalities, not to mention their passionate performances, ensured they were genuine crowd favourites.

Matteo Darmian is more in the mould of Irwin, Neville and Brennan – that much is obvious by watching him play but it becomes even clearer when you sit down to talk to the modest Italian. "I am maybe a little bit shy," he confesses in an interview conducted in his native tongue as he continues taking English lessons in order to pick up the language.

Clearly relaxed when able to express himself fully, his opening answer on growing up in Legnano, near Milan, is a lengthy one, always a good sign for any interview. He spoke to us about his career journey to Old Trafford, his idols and his personality, in addition to the late call-up to Italy’s squad ahead of last year’s World Cup finals.

Darmian’s parents, assisted by his first club AC Milan, ensured he completed his studies and that's reflected now in his intelligence and down-to-earth character. When we meet again, along with our interpreter Giuliana Giacomini, he is warm with his greetings and appears eager to discover when the interview will be published. During his second chat, for the MUDSA (Manchester United Disabled Supporters Association) magazine, he is asked about the differences between Serie A and the Barclays Premier League and suggests debates around incidents during games rumble on in Italy but they quickly pass in England.

We should be thankful, then, that the defender was otherwise engaged when live television coverage of United’s first away game of the season at Aston Villa showed replay after replay of his tussle with Micah Richards. It became one of the most talked-about incidents of the 90 minutes, with the pair having an exchange before grappling as a corner came into the box, when Richards appealed in vain for a penalty.

The Villa skipper, who often appeared to be a sporting opponent during his time with Manchester City, acknowledged in a post-match interview it was the sort of jostling that is commonplace these days but suggestions that Darmian was trying to wind him up still lingered. The Reds' new right-back was happy to tell his side of the story.

"With Micah, it was said I tried to distract him at the corner and I saw a video came out where they were saying I was pointing to his face to put him off," said the United man. "However, it was because he had a cut on his face and I was trying to tell him it was bleeding. That is what it was all about.

“The journalists jumped on the incident a bit but, at the end of the game, we shook hands and it was all fine. I certainly never called him soft if he thought that!”

What was impressive was the way Darmian offered his hand to his rival when their paths next met on the field. We know Italians are traditionally ruthless defenders and tight markers – another point we put to the player – and perhaps every United supporter expected this from an Azzurri international.

Yet it was just as pleasing to see him respect his opponent and show this human side in the heat of battle. Maybe I am old-fashioned but it was then that I felt assured Darmian had the qualities to become a proper Manchester United player. I may not be alone. There is something about our no.36 that is already striking a chord with supporters. He may still be living in a hotel – “I am deciding whether to get a house in the centre or outside of the city” – but he has adapted seamlessly to a major change on a whole host of levels. So much so that he is one of ManUtd.com's three contenders for August’s Player of the Month award.

Ask him about the big matches coming up after international duty representing his country and he will tell you: "Every player wants to play all the games but, above all, the big ones like Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal. I am sure these are the matches the fans wait for more anxiously but we’ve simply got to concentrate game by game on all our opponents, not just the top sides, and play our best."

Level-headed and focused. Exactly the sort of response you would have expected from Gary Neville during his time at United, even if he may have allowed himself a little extra comment about the visit of the Merseysiders and his Sky sparring partner Carragher. Some of us yearn for the consistency offered by Neville and Irwin, those seven-out-of-10 performances week in and week out, and we all hope this is what our latest Italian import will provide. The early signs are certainly encouraging in this respect, even if we are only six games into what we hope will be a lengthy career at the club.

Furthermore, maybe schoolchildren will grow up wanting to be Matteo Darmian to disprove Carragher’s theory about full-backs. When popping into the Megastore at Old Trafford this week, the gentleman ahead of me in the queue was purchasing a black shirt for his son. "Which name do you want?" asked the staff member behind the counter. "Darmian" came the instant response.