Player review: Nani

The Portuguese trickster finally came into his own in a red shirt last season...

Story of the season: Some Reds had been less than charitable in their appraisal of the Portuguese backflipper since his arrival at Old Trafford in 2007. The flashes of skill he had shown were too few and far between to justify his hefty transfer fee, they reasoned. But soon after the papers reported that he had angered Sir Alex after talking out of turn and was demanding to move during the transfer window, he hit a rich vein of form. His performances in the Carling Cup semi-final victory over City and the league win at Arsenal particularly caught the eye, and he continued to look like a potent attacking weapon for the Reds rather than the source of fan frustration. You get the feeling that this is a confidence player who will now go on to show what he is really made of.

Finest moment: Nani will be pleased to know that the Dubious Goals Panel has awarded him his effort at the Emirates against Arsenal. In a piece of individual brilliance, Nani’s jink between two defenders and effortless wrong-footing of another brought him face-to-face with Gunners keeper Manuel Almunia, allbeit at an impossibly acute angle. His exquisite lob, which Almunia could only palm into the net, would probably have gone in anyway, or if not been bundled over the line by the waiting Ji-sung Park.

What’s in store? He signed a new four-year deal at the end of March, and even if his stock rises further at the World Cup, it is unlikely that Sir Alex will let him go. Expect him to be an even more integral part of the manager's plans next season.