Manchester United’s veteran winger Ryan Giggs has tipped his successor Nani to enjoy the same kind of success that Cristiano Ronaldo has become accustomed to at Old Trafford.
The 21-year-old joined the English champions from Sporting in the summer, the same club from whom Ronaldo joined four years ago, but has not settled immediately in much the same way as Ronaldo struggled.
But old head Giggs is tipping the youngster to come good after seeing glimpses of what he has to offer.
“We’ve always had a great tradition at this club with wingers and hopefully Nani can develop in the way Cristiano has and learn about the game and keep getting better,” said Giggs.
“He’s got great quality and energy and he can score and make goals, so he’s got the makings of becoming a really good player.
“It’s important to help them develop and it’s something I benefited from as a young player.
“I was lucky enough to be surrounded by so many established pros, like Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Brian McClair and Mark Hughes, when I first broke into the team and I relied on them.
“You take on a different role as you get older and you try and pass your experience on to the younger lads and show leadership qualities on and off the pitch.”
Ronaldo was missing from United’s 1-0 defeat at Bolton on Saturday, and much to the disdain and confusion of The Red Devils’ fans was not even included on the bench.
However, manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed that the wide-man’s absence, alongside Nemanja Vidic’s lack of involvement, was due to injury and that both would hopefully be available for Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Sporting.
“Ronaldo had a little strain on the inside of his thigh and Nemanja missed Serbia’s game on Wednesday while on international duty,” Ferguson told MUTV. “We’ll see what they are like for Tuesday but they were not fit for Saturday.”
