Nani on himself, United and Ronaldo

One of the first clubs they approached was the one they had just vanquished in Rome: Barcelona wanted to know if Manchester United were willing to sell Nani. United responded with an emphatic no.

It is an indication of how much the 22-year-old winger is valued by the English champions that they would not countenance an approach. Sir Alex Ferguson was already resigned to the sale of one Portuguese winger to Spain and was not about to let another leave.

There are ambitious plans this season for Nani, a player who has not yet fully harnessed his remarkable talents. That the two leading clubs in Europe rate him so highly has infused Nani with the kind of confidence that can only enhance his game.

"It makes me really happy to know that this club wants to keep me, it really gives me confidence," he said. "It's fantastic to know that, at a club like this, they are thinking about my future. I heard something about Barcelona.
"It is good for a player to hear that the best clubs in the world want you to play for them. But my mind was only thinking about Manchester. I have never thought about going. I have been here only two years and want to do something for this club, to be part of its history."

The moment has come for Nani. As a slick winger with flamboyant footwork from Sporting Lisbon, it was inevitable that he would be compared with Cristiano Ronaldo, to dwell in his shadow. Now, bathed in the cold light of his compatriot's absence, Nani is ready to shine, starting with the Community Shield against Chelsea on Sunday.

"I am thinking only about this season. Forget the past. I want to be the man. I think I have a lot to do to show them my best, because I haven't done that yet. I played a lot of games and did some good things but I need to improve.
"I want to get to the point where I have the confidence of the manager, the players and the fans. Once you have that then everything is possible because you know they are all there to support you.

"I know a lot of people compare me with Cristiano but I don't want that because I'm different. Yes, there are some similarities but we are also different. I have my own skills, my own style of shooting… I don't want to be compared with him all the time, it's not good, especially if things are not going well. I want to hear people speaking about Nani not saying things like 'look, he does that like Cristiano…'.

"It made me a better player, training and playing with him. When I came to Manchester I just watched him, seeing when he chose to pass when he chose to dribble, what I should try and do in similar situations. But I also learned from the others, from Scholes's passing, from Giggs's intelligent movement and from Rooney's finishing. You can learn every day." By his own admission, he has found that learning curve surprisingly steep.

As with a younger Ronaldo, there is a suspicion that his sleight of foot is often executed for its own sake. Ferguson has been trying to bend this aestheticism to more utilitarian ends.

"The manager has tried to teach me to do the skills in the right moment and in the right area," Nani said. "He's a father for everyone inside the team. Everyone respects him when he speaks. He always speaks at the right time.
"If you do something wrong he always says the right thing. Sometimes when you do skills in the wrong area and you lose the ball the other team can counter-attack and you can lose a goal.

"I want to focus on helping the team more, on getting good crosses and assists for my colleagues as well as getting shots on target. If you help the team then everything else follows."

There is a dawning sense of responsibility about Nani, that he is concentrating on the priorities after the tumult of rapid elevation to wealth and prominence. The difficulty of the process is better understood by what he left behind.
He was born in Lisbon to parents who had immigrated from the former Portuguese colony of Cape Verde and grew up in the crime-ridden Amadora suburb.

"It was very difficult. I didn't have anything. We had a big family, a lot of brothers and sisters. Eight siblings from my mother and five from my father. I have maybe 30 nephews and nieces!

"I was the youngest of my mother's kids. It was hard for my mum to give us food. I have a brother, Paulo Roberto, who is five years older than me and he taught me everything – including how to play football.

At first I didn't know about football or how to play it but he started to teach me. I was five years old and didn't want to learn but he [mimes a clip round the ear] and I soon started to enjoy it. My father moved back to Cape Verde when I was seven and from then on my brother was a father to me.

"It was difficult to live there, always problems with the police and shootings. There was violence. There was a big gang of us, close friends, who used to go around together when we were young. Now some of those guys are in prison. Football was the only way to get out." That escape route was facilitated by a local club Real Massama who anticipated Nani's future ability.

They gave him money, food and sorted him out with an ID card and a passport. He hasn't forgotten what they did for him and is proud that they received a cut of the fee that Manchester United paid Sporting Lisbon for him two summers ago.

Now he wants to prove to his current club that that was a worthwhile investment.
"This can be my season," he said, "and I'm going to work every day for that."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...os-shadow.html

nani is a good lad.

was talking to my sisters mates husband at my house today who played at lisbon with quaresmas older brother and knows a few of the portugese lads and he was saying nani needs a run of games and that some of the things he can are unbelievable.

i believe in nani.

Nani has all the ability in the world.

He's just too hot and cold. He's either brilliant or utter garbage. He needs to show major improvement this season, i'd like to see better decision making from him. Maybe he can release the ball quicker and stop looking for the perfect cross, you know when he gets to the line dummy's it inside dummys it outside dummys it back inside then does a gay dink cross. Everything else is very good just needs that bit of maturity.

One of the first clubs they approached was the one they had just vanquished in Rome: Barcelona wanted to know if Manchester United were willing to sell Nani.

Who vanquished who in the what now?

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

Who vanquished who in the what now?

I noticed that. I had to check the result

Originally Posted by marlo

nani is a good lad.

was talking to my sisters mates husband at my house today who played at lisbon with quaresmas older brother and knows a few of the portugese lads and he was saying nani needs a run of games and that some of the things he can are unbelievable.

i believe in nani.

I'm a believer in Nani too.

Originally Posted by History

Nani has all the ability in the world.

He's just too hot and cold. He's either brilliant or utter garbage. He needs to show major improvement this season, i'd like to see better decision making from him. Maybe he can release the ball quicker and stop looking for the perfect cross, you know when he gets to the line dummy's it inside dummys it outside dummys it back inside then does a gay dink cross. Everything else is very good just needs that bit of maturity.

I think I remember reading similar things to this just after Ruud left, it was also about a young Portuguese, hmmm what ever happened to him??

he understands what manchester united is all about.

fergie believes in him, so do i. really want to see him and valencia on our wings this season; interchanging so that nani also gets to play wide right, and as i keep saying, with a run of games and consistency we will see the best of him this season!

Originally Posted by Redhod99

[/b]

I think I remember reading similar things to this just after Ruud left, it was also about a young Portuguese, hmmm what ever happened to him??

We sold him.

Originally Posted by dunk

We sold him.

Originally Posted by dunk

We sold him.

he wasn't good enough if i remember rightly...

Originally Posted by Rhodzy

I'm a believer in Nani too.

And me. I've high hopes for the lad. Poor season in 08/09, but he showed enough in his debut season to convince me he can become a top player.

I believe in Nani

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

Who vanquished who in the what now?

Originally Posted by dunk

I noticed that. I had to check the result

The "they" refers to Barcelona.

Pair 'o thickos.

Originally Posted by Grimson

The "they" refers to Barcelona.

Pair 'o thickos.

Sure. Whatever you say, "Professor".

i love my nana

Originally Posted by marlo

nani is a good lad.

was talking to my sisters mates husband at my house today who played at lisbon with quaresmas older brother and knows a few of the portugese lads and he was saying nani needs a run of games and that some of the things he can are unbelievable.

i believe in nani.

and you are a £#%&!ing dick

Originally Posted by marlo

nani is a good lad.

was talking to my sisters mates husband at my house today who played at lisbon with quaresmas older brother and knows a few of the portugese lads and he was saying nani needs a run of games and that some of the things he can are unbelievable.

i believe in nani.

That's one of the most tenuous £#%&!ing links i've ever heard in my £#%&!ing life.

Originally Posted by dunk

We sold him.

for 80m and didn't spend a bean

Originally Posted by roon78

for 80m and didn't spend a bean

errrrm we bought Valencia and that bald @#%&! "Ubertan" or whatever his boat was called

Originally Posted by waynes ear's

errrrm we bought Valencia and that bald @#%&! "Ubertan" or whatever his boat was called

ferie gets a 20m bubget each season anyway or at least it gets reported that way, anyway wind yer neck in salford snowflake