Introducing the 2 new Red Devils

Nani

Profile
Personal information
Full name: Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha
Date of birth: 17-11-1986 (age 20)
Place of birth: Amadora, Portugal
Height: 1.75 m
Playing position: Winger

Club information
Youth clubs
Real de Massamá
Sporting CP

Senior clubs
2005 - 2007 Sporting CP 19 (6)
2007 - Man Utd

National team
2006- Portugal 05 (1)


Nani is the latest outstanding talent to be produced by Sporting’s seemingly endless conveyor belt of world-class wingers. The same system that produced Luis Figo, Simao, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma appears to have unearthed another sensation capable of attaining the heights of such exalted company.

Nani started his career at his local club Massama on the outskirts of Lisbon before joining Sporting’s famed youth academy.

His speed, strength and trickery have led many to compare him with Cristiano Ronaldo, and like the Manchester United winger Nani has the added bonus of having a keen eye for goal. He is equally at home on either flank.

He broke into the first team at 18 years of age, and made an immediate impression with his dazzling footwork and extreme speed, scoring 6 goals in his debut season.

Trademark celebration
Each goal is exuberantly celebrated, with an acrobatic somersault on the run that wouldn’t shame an Olympic gymnast.

Nani enjoyed a blistering start to the 2006/07 season with two goals in Sporting’s first two matches and another on his international debut where he gave a man-of-the-match display against Denmark.

That was followed up by an outstanding goal in the Champions League against Spartak Moscow, and Europe’s biggest clubs began to take note. Manchester United and Inter Milan were among a host of top European giants reportedly vying for Nani’s signature. In the end Sir Alex gets his man again.

Nani has also been dubbed the next 'Cristiano Ronaldo' due his similar style of play. Nani is seen as a long term relacement for Ryan Giggs in the United team.




Anderson

Profile
Full name: Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira
Date of birth: 13-04-1988 (age 19)
Birthplace: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 176 cm
Weight: 69 kg

Club: Manchester United
Position: Attacking Midfielder [C]

Previous clubs: Gremio > Porto > Manchester United

International debut: still to do it

Youth clubs
1993-2004 Grêmio

Senior clubs
2004-2005 Grêmio 05 (1)
2005-present FC Porto 21 (5)

The next Ronaldinho
Everything suggests he is going to be a superstar, a prodigy, as he has undisputable quality,” said Mario Zagallo, the legendary Brazilian World Cup winning player and manager.

The similarities between Anderson and the Barcelona superstar are not limited to both player’s long hair, silky skills and dazzling footwork. The two stars came through the ranks at Gremio.

With Gremio spending the 2005 season in the Brazilian second division, Anderson’s rise to stardom came mainly with his achievements for his country at international youth tournaments. After helping Brazil to the final of the South American U-17 Championships in April 2005, Anderson won the “Adidas Golden Ball” award for his performances at the FIFA U-17 World Cup later in the year.

His career at Gremio was brief, with only a handful of first team appearances to his name and all of them coming before his 18th birthday. However, he is remembered for scoring one of the most important goals in the club’s recent history, getting a spectacular solo winner as the two-time South American champions secured promotion back to the top flight with a 1-0 win over Nautico in November 2005.

Word of Anderson’s talent soon reached Europe, and FC Porto beat off stiff competition to bring him to Portugal in January 2006. He made his debut two months later, giving him enough time to make his mark during Porto’s title triumph, and he became one of the Dragons’ most important players in the opening months of the 2006/07 season.

Complete player
Despite his age, Anderson is a remarkably complete footballer. With all the skills and flair of the finest Brazilian footballers, he is also quick, powerful and possesses incredibly high energy levels and a tireless work rate. He has expressed a preference for playing in a wide left position, but is becoming increasingly impressive in central midfield, where he has shone for Porto in the Champions League.

Brazilian World Cup winner and former FIFA World Player of the Year Rivaldo is in a good position to assess Anderson’s ability. “He’s very good, a huge talent, but you need to be patient with him. His development should be controlled, giving him encouragement, but everything done calmly. We’re talking about a youngster who has the qualities to be a great player.”
(courtesy of portugoal.net)