Nani

Portuguese Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (or ‘Nani’ as we all know him) is a powerful and pacy winger. He arrived at Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon in 2007 and, predictably, was given the tag of being ‘the new Cristiano Ronaldo’.

It was perhaps an unfair burden to carry given the heights Ronaldo scaled at United, not least because realistically they are quite different players.

It was until Nani's countryman left for pastures new that he really began to fulfil his undoubted potential and stepped out of Ronaldo's shadow. The 2009/10 campaign, the season after United's former no.7 joined Real

Madrid, was meant to be the moment Nani stepped to the fore. But his sporadic involvement, partly due to injury, in the first half of the season led many outside the club to speculate about his future at Old Trafford.

Nevertheless, Nani returned to action in January 2010 and put together a string of hugely impressive displays - and chipped in with some vital goals - to win over fans and pundit alike and partly reward the faith Sir Alex had shown in him. The United boss highlighted an increased maturity in the Reds' no.17 and his blossoming personality. Having not long turned 23, it seemed fair to suggest

that the inconsistency that at times frustrated fans earlier in his career was a by-product of youth.

It's important to note that Nani is an all-together different player to Ronaldo. He is an out-and-out winger, his major strength being his ability to cross the ball into dangerous areas - at which it can be said he outshines his former team-mate - where as Ronaldo was more a marauding forward, intent on scoring goals rather than making them. Another valuable asset is his versatility. He can play on either flank, although his crossing remains most effective when he operates on the right wing, and he has the skill, pace and

shooting power to be a threat when cutting back infield.

Nani is also capable of explosive bursts of brilliance and spectacular goals that have proven well worthy of his equally extravagant backflip celebrations. Old Trafford got its first glimpse of Nani's acrobatics when he scored his first Reds goal against Tottenham in August 2007, and followed that with goals against Middlesbrough, Arsenal and – the goal that perhaps most endeared him to fans early in his career – a great strike in the 3-0 win over Liverpool at OT in March 2008.

It seems now that he is living up to the early promise of his
debut campaign. The challenge remains to do it on a consistent basis. But after signing a new contract in March 2010 that keeps him at the club until June 2014, he has the platform to do it. Potential is still the keyword, as Sir Alex points out, Nani is not yet a finished product - but he's getting there. "Nani is an emerging talent within the team and has developed tremendously since joining the club," says the boss.

The player himself still feels he is learning his trade - and what better place to do it? "The coaching staff have taught me so much about the game and I'm playing alongside some of the best players in the

world," he said upon signing his four-year deal. "I'm looking forward to winning many more trophies with this team.