It would be great to have more Spanish players at Manchester United.
When the big clubs, and Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, is interested in you, it’s an honour and it’s a kind of an acceptance of what you play – so it’s a good thing.
If you look at the history of Manchester United, they are always a big side, so there is no time of underestimating them.
That was always special, playing Manchester United. I loved the feeling of the derby, that pressure, the atmosphere around it. And I did have some good matches there, didn’t I?
For a club like Manchester United, it’s not a good season without a title.
When I played for Stuttgart, I met Manchester United and Chelsea. With United, I immediately think of the duels with Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes and with Chelsea, it was John Terry. Those players are symbols of their clubs and the success they had at that time.
I am sad to leave so many friends at Manchester United. But I am grateful to the club for allowing me the chance to take up the challenge at Chicago Fire.
After one season, I know how well I have to play to keep playing for Manchester United.
When Manchester United play with the right spirit, nobody can beat us.
He was the main guy at Manchester United, and he’s a guy I really look up to and who I learn from a lot because we share the same agent. Here and there, he sends a bit of advice to me, and it helps me improve. But I’m Romelu Lukaku – I’m not Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
In Argentina, everyone knows Manchester United, but the only ones who’ve heard of Fiorentina are people who follow me.
I don’t regret writing my book at all. I wrote it for the United supporters to give them a proper insight into what it is like inside the club, and what it is like to be a Manchester United player. I think I did that in an honest way.
One day I woke up and Juventus wanted me, another Manchester United and what I know is that there were approaches made. But an agreement was never reached and nothing was close.
As soon as Jose Mourinho was given the job, I knew that he was the right man for Manchester United.
When one day I leave Manchester United I don’t want to think, ‘I should have analysed the opponent more, I should have worked harder.’
It’s unbelievable: the fans of Manchester United are one of the best in the world, and I feel the support of them.
People talk about the history of Manchester United or Liverpool, but look what Arsenal achieved with the team of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.
If Manchester United come knocking, you can’t turn that down.
I feel privileged to play for Manchester United. It is something, when I’m old, I will always be proud of.
Yes, Manchester United wanted me and Barcelona too.
As a goalkeeper, I’m well aware that any mistake can be magnified by the fans. But it’s true that here at Manchester United, there’s added pressure.
I want to make it at Manchester United.
I left Manchester United with my head held very high. I gave 100 per cent, and no one could doubt my performances, especially when you compare how many minutes I actually played.
There was interest from a lot of clubs, not just Manchester United, but as soon as I knew Liverpool were interested, I just felt it was the right club with the right coach. It was right for me to come here.
Manchester United is a club that means so much to me.
We are Manchester United: we are one of the biggest clubs in the world, and we are going to try to win everything, of course.
I was always taught by my father to challenge myself and to continue to evolve in my career, and I saw the move to Manchester United as an opportunity to grow as a player and as a person.
They wanted to play me central midfield when I was at Aston Villa, so that’s why we left. Things were going good at Coventry, but then scouts from Manchester United and different clubs around England were watching me, and I don’t think Coventry liked that.
Being at Manchester United is a great way to play at the highest level and win trophies with a team that is very closely knitted together.
Shinji Kagawa is one of the best players in the world, and he now plays 20 minutes at Manchester United – on the left wing! My heart breaks. Really, I have tears in my eyes. Central midfield is Shinji’s best role.
It would be honour for me to keep playing for Manchester United.
I always said as a kid that I’d like to play for United, and I once spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson about it. We chatted for around 20 minutes, and I told him that my dream was to come here to Manchester United.
The fans of Manchester United are one of the best in the world. I felt the support of them from the first day, and I am really happy with them.
Manchester United is a factory workers’ club. You have to respect that culture.
You can be 19 or 20 and playing reserve team football, be able to say ‘I played at,’ say, ‘Manchester United,’ even though you have no actual first team appearances. But there are 19- and 20-year-olds at League Two level with 100 appearances under their belts. I know which one I’d rather be.
If you’ve had the No. 1 job, why would you go back and be reserve manager? Is Alex Ferguson going to be reserve manager for Manchester United? It’s like a boxer going into the ring with one arm behind his back. Why would you do it? You’re going to get knocked out.
I think every kid grows up wanting to play for Manchester United. I never thought I’d be able to play against them, never mind play for them, so it’s surreal, and I’m really looking forward to it.
I remember once Manchester United were ahead of Manchester City by eight points and ended up losing it, so everything is possible in this life.
When you play for Manchester United, the pressure’s on every week.
Manchester United is of course a big club.
I didn’t have anything against Manchester United or any other team, and my dream was always to play in the Premier League one day, but my heart told me the best thing would be to stay at Lille.
Even though I didn’t win any titles, I have positive feelings about my first season at Manchester United. I have learned a lot, and I think I’ve made a lot of progress.
Manchester United was a club with great traditions, traditions where they tended to pick British managers. That tradition has now gone.
I would never have left Everton for anybody but an ambitious football club. And I thought Manchester United would have given me that opportunity.
I felt within myself that I needed to change what I was doing. I needed a new stimuli. So the interest from Manchester United was a perfect fit.
I remember seeing Eric Cantona play for Manchester United. The way he used to control games was special to watch.
Manchester United is like the American team in the Premier League, and everyone knows the weight of it back home. It is so exciting for me to wear a badge that is well known.
I know I can succeed at Manchester United, and I want to show everyone that I deserve to be a key player in this team and this league.
Everyone wants to beat Manchester United, but that’s something that we are used to coping with.
I was at a local club, Penketh United, and Mike Glennie, a Manchester United scout, came to watch me. He spoke to my grandad and offered me trials, but there was also interest from Liverpool, and I had to pick – I was only young, but obviously my heart was with United at the time.
For me it was massive there was interest from Manchester United. To sign for such a club was important to me in my football career.
When you play for Manchester United, any year you don’t win the title, you feel like you haven’t done your job.
When you are in a club like Manchester United, you have a lot of pressure around you.
When I was younger I would play in front of crowds as small as 500 in the second division in Belgium, so I know what that’s like. It might be easier in terms of pressure, but believe me, I would always prefer to be at a packed Anfield playing against Manchester United. That’s why you want to become a footballer.
Manchester United have always stood up again and bounced back; it’s just in the DNA.
When I arrived at Liverpool, the budget was £20m gross. When I left, it was £17m, but still people said I must win the title. Manchester United had around £50m more every year, but they said I must compete against them.
It’s true that an offer from Manchester United was on the table – I was really close to leaving Inter.
First of all my golfing experience spans all corners of the World – Brazil, New Zealand, L.A. And I think the best place is when you play with friends. I particularly enjoy playing golf with my best friend, former Manchester United player Dwight Yorke. It is the best experience when we can get together on a golf course.
I want to win the Italian league. That’s why I said no to Manchester United.
I’m a big Manchester United fan. When I was a kid, I worked with a guy who was a Man United fan, and that was the first soccer team that I was turned on to.
One of my most treasured possessions is the letter my father wrote to me when I left home to join the Manchester United Class of 92.
I’ve grown up at Manchester United and been professional all through my career, and I always do extra work.
