12 October 2007, by Sean Gillen

Ferguson ‘surprised’ at Nani’s quality

Man United manager delighted with summer acquisition

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has praised the early impact of summer signing Nani, claiming that the Portuguese has surprised the coaching staff since his arrival.

Nani moved to Old Trafford from Sporting during the close season for around 20m Euros, but it was expected that the 20-year-old would be used sparingly by the club during the early stages of the season.

However, injuries and suspension saw Nani thrown into the starting eleven almost immediately, and he has already impressed, scoring a sensational winning goal against Tottenham and providing numerous assists for team-mates.

“Our long-term view was that he’d come in for Giggs now and again,” Ferguson told a press conference when asked about his new acquisition. “But he’s played quite a few times already and what we’ve seen so far are things that you only pick up after the player joins.

“He’s quicker than I thought – very, very quick, in fact. He’s also a marvellous crosser of the ball. He’ll settle in more as he learns the language. He’s keen, and he’s doing alright with his English. There’s great potential there, and he’s only 20, so he’s only going to get better.”

“There’s tremendous potential in the boy. We’re really quite bullish about him.”


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