Anderson - Interview
Anderson made his Manchester United debut in the 1-0 win over Sunderland at the weekend, and feels great about it...
How did it feel to step out at Old Trafford for your debut against Sunderland?
It was amazing, not just for me but for my family as well. As a young boy it was always my dream to play for a big European club. I was lucky enough to do it with FC Porto and now I’m at United. I feel proud to be here and I want to do my best.
When did you first hear of United’s interest?
I heard about it some time ago through my agent but we thought it would be better for me to wait a little bit longer. I was doing well at Porto at the time and I knew that joining a club like United - one of the biggest clubs in the world with one of the best followings in the world – would bring its own pressure. But when they expressed an interest in me again in the summer I felt it was the right time and I was really excited to have the opportunity to play for such a great club.
Did you know much about the club before you joined?
I’m good friends with Cristiano Ronaldo and he told me about the club and what a great place it is. Joining United is a dream come true for any footballer in the world. I’m really excited to be here and hope I can do well.
You’re still only 19-years-old but you’ve already been compared to your Brazilian team-mate Ronaldinho…
I feel very proud by those comparisons but you have to remember that Ronaldinho is an established top class footballer who has been named the best player in the world twice. He’s a great guy and a good friend of mine, but no two players are the same – Ronaldinho is Ronaldinho and Anderson is Anderson. It’s an honour to play alongside him, it’s something every footballer in the world would like to do. He’s a great player and I hope one day I can reach the level he is at now.
You and Paul Scholes could be vying for that attacking role in midfield. How big a test will that be for you?
He’s a top player with great qualities who has won a lot for Manchester United and I’m looking forward to hopefully playing alongside him. But the important thing is the team. All the players have the same objective and that’s to help the team become successful.
Finally, what ambitions do you have for the current campaign?
Like every player in the squad I want to be involved in every game and play to the best of my ability. It’s not always easy to do that every time you go out onto the pitch but I’ll certainly be trying my hardest to help the team win every competition we enter.
Interviewed by ManUtd.com