Nani has delighted and surprised fans with his resurgent
form in 2010, and team-mate Rio Ferdinand it's all rooted in hard
work.
The Portuguese winger struggled for form and a place in the side in
the first-half of the campaign, but Reds assistant Mike Phelan
acknowledged this year that “the penny dropped”. Since then he's
been one of United’s best players, scoring several eye-catching
goals.
"Nani's really come on since Christmas,” says Rio. “He’s a young
player learning the game and he’s got his head down and worked,
really knuckled down. He’s seen the benefits of that by becoming an
effective part of the team. The important thing is he’s producing
an end product – scoring goals and setting up chances. Because of
that he’s getting a consistent run in the team and any player
benefits from that.”
If he continues his club form, Nani could be one of the World Cup's
stars, and Ferdinand believes the sky is the limit for the
23-year-old. “Nani’s got the potential to do what he wants,” he
adds. “He’s one of the sharpest players around, has a great strike
with both feet - he’s got the potential to be a top, top player. If
he continues the way he’s going he’ll be a great weapon for next
season.”