So is it Nemanja, or Mr Vidic?
No, please, you can call me Vida.
Vida it is, then. Ambitions for this season,
Vida?
To win everything. That is the mentality of Manchester United. We
go into every game to win. If you think any other way, how can you
play for a successful club? We have quality players at United a
big squad with lots of competition for places. It will be difficult
to win the Premier League again, because it is such a difficult
league, but we have everything a team needs to be able to win the
title.
How hard was it to adapt to the English
game?
It was very hard. The first couple of months after I joined, I
wasnt me. I could not pass the ball properly, or control a simple
ball. My confidence was gone and I did start to think maybe England
wasnt for me. But it takes time to adapt. Its very different here
its fast, a very high standard, many games. But, after a couple
of months, I learnt how to play and I began to find my confidence
again. Now you see the real Nemanja Vidic.
What did Mr Ferguson say to you?
He was very good to me. He knew that I was not playing as I could
play, but he would always say to me: Dont worry, I know you are
right for this league and right for this club, it will come. And
it did come. All the coaches helped me through, and I worked hard
to find my confidence. When you have confidence, you concentrate
more fully and the game comes easily.
Is it true that Rio Ferdinand took you under his wing when
you first arrived?
Yes. We would go to the restaurants together and hang around away
from the game. He helped me a lot to settle here in Manchester we
get on very well on and off the pitch, which is important in a
relationship. On the pitch, we think in the same way. He knows what
I will do and I know what he will do we know what movements the
other will make, and there is an understanding between us that
makes it easy to play together.
Speaking to you now, you seem a very placid guy. What
happens when you cross the white line?
The man you see on the pitch is very different to the man you see
off it, the man you speak to today. When I play football, I become
more aggressive I have to give everything to the team. Maybe I
dont always have great form, but I always give everything I have
and I think the fans like to see that. I play strong, yes, but I am
not a dirty player or a killer, as the fans sing. I dont want to
hurt or injure anyone, I just want to win. I have to win. I am a
bad loser.
How bad? Do you kick things?
No, but I feel very bad. I hate it. Nothing makes me happier than
winning games. I love to win, but when we lose and particularly
if I dont play well Im not good to be around. It takes me some
time to calm down. And, when someone scores against me, it is like
a slap in the face. I dont like that feeling. It makes me feel
very bad very bad.
So how did you feel after the Milan game in the Champions
League last season?
Oh, you kill me now! That was after I broke my collar bone and
came back. That was my worst game for the team, no question. It was
a very bad night, but I am over it now.
Weve seen you smiling widely after splitting your head
open. Are you impervious to pain?
No, of course not, but if you fear injury you will not play your
normal game. I have broken my collar bone, torn knee ligaments,
split my head a few times
and I have no doubt I will be injured
again, but that doesnt worry me. That is football, particularly as
a defender. You have to be brave.
Have marriage and becoming a dad changed
you?
I think so, yes. I have grown up since I became a dad [to son
Luka]. Becoming a father gives you responsibility you want to be
there for your children and bring them up well. And the same is
true of being married. I am more relaxed now I am married. I enjoy
life with my wife and my baby. I am a calmer person, which maybe
helps me as a footballer maybe it makes me a better
player.
And how are you liking England now? Is it starting to feel
like home?
Yes, I like it here very much but, as I said, it wasnt always
that way. The first couple of months were very hard; settling into
a different style of life and being around new people was tough,
and that made playing football harder too. But I got used to it and
then I started to enjoy my time and feel much better. The weather
is different here. You go outside to walk and you get caught in the
rain. It rains so much, but it does feel like home.
And the food? Do you like English food?
Fish and chips! I love your fish and chips! With beans. Fish and
chips and beans. Very nice. And I like the bacon in the morning
also, but as a footballer I have to be careful what I eat.
