Vidic On City & Young Reds

Nemanja Vidic was back on Manchester United duty as the former club captain joined Bryan Robson in China to help launch Tour 2016, presented by Aon. During his short stay in Beijing, the 34-year-old sat down with MUTV to reflect on his tour memories in Asia, discuss the first-ever overseas Manchester derby and praise three of United's young stars for their performances this season...

What’s your reaction to the news that United will be on tour in China this summer?
I think it’s great news. We have so many followers in China, over 100 million fans and it’s good to visit them and spend some time with them. They’re really passionate about United. I was in China in 2007 and we had a good pre-season and we picked up a lot of good energy from the fans.

What are your standout memories of playing in Asia with United? You played in a 3-0 win in Guangzhou and a 6-0 victory in Macau in 2007…
Yes, I remember we played two games. The 6-0 against Shenzhen was a good experience especially at the time when Macau was a new place for us. It was very nice and we had a good time.

What was the reaction like from the fans then and what kind of reaction can we expect from them when the team are in town in July?
They are very passionate about United and everywhere we went in China, there were so many people asking for autographs. I have to say the amount of energy we got from the fans in China was unbelievable. I look back on that pre-season with great memories before the 2007/08 season because that was one of the most successful seasons in my career at United and my career as a whole.

What do you remember about the welcome you received in China?
It was my first experience because I’d never been to the Far East before. I hadn’t had any contact with the mentality or the culture and I was really surprised by the huge welcome, the brightness and happiness of everyone and also the organisation. They’re very organised which is impressive when you think how big the country is. It was really good for us to spend time in China.

Have you visited Shanghai and Beijing before? If yes, what are your thoughts on the cities?
This was my first visit to Beijing and my first impressions are it’s huge! As I said before, my first impression about 2007 was the fact the people here had so much respect for other people and the organisation of everything.

Would you like to visit on holiday?
Yes definitely. I told the kids I was coming to China and they started talking about some of the history of the country. They actually know more than me from school! I’d like to bring them to places where they can learn from and China is definitely a country you can learn from.

Of course, English football is huge in Asia and in China especially and the Chinese Super League is growing all the time – will football only get bigger there?
This year especially they have invested so much in football. They have brought some good players I have played against like [Asamoah] Gyan at Sunderland, Gervinho… good players and quality players, and I believe they will improve Chinese football. The Chinese players can learn from them as well - if you bring foreign players in, it can help improve the professionalism and the football in general, not just by playing the matches, but they bring something different that they [the Chinese players] maybe don’t have in their mentality or their game. I believe it’s just the beginning of the investment [in the game] from the Chinese government and the country as a whole.

Does it surprise you that players are moving to China in their prime? Players like Ramires from Chelsea for example?
Sometimes players choose moments that they believe are right for them. It’s the same as when I left United and then finished my career. People asked me why but sometimes you have this feeling that it’s the right move. You can’t always explain it but you feel it’s right.

We’ll be playing in the International Champions Cup against two top teams in the form of Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund – what kind of games can we expect?
It’s a pre-season tour and I believe that the managers and the players come to entertain the fans. That’s the most important thing, along with getting fit and you want to win as well. You don’t want to lose against City, even when it’s a friendly match. I believe it’s good that United play good teams in pre-season because they can see where they are at. It’s good to play against good opponents because you can get a sense of where you are up to [with fitness] and the players will see how much work they need to do to reach the level of some players. In pre-season, you have players who have been at United for a while and then you have new signings who need to adjust to the team and English football so Manchester City is the match to do that in. On the other hand, Dortmund is a team that, in recent years, has always been near the top of the German league. They have some talented players and they will be a good test for us. In general, the more difficult the matches you play, the better I think.

It’ll be the first Manchester derby to be played in China – what will that be like and how much would you have liked to be part of that?
To be fair, if you ask me now, two months after I retired, I’m not really missing football because I don’t have the stress now! [Smiles] I enjoy my time, I play different sports and do things I never did before, but of course, yes, if you ask any player in the world to play in the derby, especially at this moment in time, it’s a dream of any player. And you see many top players coming to the English clubs to be part of the league and the excitement this league brings to football.

It’ll be one of Pep Guardiola’s first games of course for City…
Of course. I believe he wants to be part of the best league in the world. All top players and the managers want to be part of English football. That’s great for the players, the fans and for everyone who loves English football, but we only look at ourselves and we are not really focusing on what City does. That was my mentality at United and what I learned when I was there. We always look at ourselves and try to make the best possible situation from our capabilities.

How important is it to have a good base level of fitness going into the season?
Pre-season is important for many reasons. Firstly, it’s important for players to get fit and to prepare themselves the best way they can for the season. On the other hand, it’s a relaxing atmosphere because you have so much pressure on you during the season to perform and win matches and, during pre-season, you’re just thinking about getting fit and being ready for the beginning of the season. You also enjoy your time with the fans and the energy you get from them.

How important are the tours for younger lads trying to make an impression on the manager?
They’re very important for them to test themselves and it’s important for the club to see if they can play at the top level. We’ve seen this year some young players who I think have done well. Players like Rashford, Lingard and Martial are three players I believe have the potential to play for many years for United.

Describe the pre-season experience in Asia with United in three words.
Hot. Exciting. And… that’s two. The third isn’t coming! [Laughs] The fans are passionate of course. So passionate.