Rio Ferdinand shares why ‘everyone’ at Man Utd used to get really frustrated with Nani as a player

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Rio Ferdinand has shared some of the frustrations ‘everyone’ at Manchester United had with former winger Nani.

After 12 years at Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand can boast about playing with some of the greatest players who graced the Premier League.

Some of the best players Ferdinand played with include Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes – but other top players had an impact at Old Trafford during that time, without necessarily being remembered as the greatest to have played for the club.

One player that comes to mind is Nani, who had to live in Ronaldo’s shadow until his Portuguese compatriot left for Real Madrid in 2009.

Nani won four Premier League titles during his time in England and was named United’s Player’s Player of the Year after the 2010/11 campaign, which was his most prolific season as a Red – scoring 10 goals and registering 18 assists.

Nani’s inconsistency frustrated ‘everyone’ at Man Utd

After signing for United from Sporting CP in 2007, Nani spent seven years at Old Trafford, making 230 appearances before leaving to join Turkish side Fenerbahce.

Renowned as a tricky winger, Nani’s inconsistency proved frustrating at times, which has been documented in a recent podcast with former United defender Ferdinand.

Nani had offers from Barcelona and Man City at one stage of his career, but Sir Alex Ferguson was unwilling to let him go.

Ferdinand has explained how Nani left ‘everyone’ frustrated at United, including team-mates and fans, but he added more consistency to his game later on in his career.

“The point I made about Nani being a comparison is that you can see world-class traits in him,” Ferdinand said.

“You can see his ability that you go this can’t not be world-class. And a frustration for a teammate is that I can see it there. Where the hell is it every week then?

“Yeah. That inconsistency was frustrating for everyone who played with him, fans, etc., because you could see it, and you saw so many glimpses, right? But there wasn’t a consistent package enough at the time, especially in his early time.

“When he got towards the end of his career at Man United, you’re seeing it more consistently.”

Nani made a long-awaited return to Old Trafford last season to watch last season’s Europa League semi-final win over Athletic Club.

Nani injury led to Ruben Amorim call-up for World Cup

Nani, who was a key part of the Portugal squad after an impressive season with United, suffered an injury before the 2010 World Cup, which cost him a place in the squad.

The former United winger had already been named in the squad, but his injury led to Ruben Amorim’s first World Cup call-up.

Amorim has Nani to thank for ensuring he was a member of the Portugal squad for the World Cup in South Africa.

The United head coach was also part of Portugal’s squad for the 2014 World Cup. It was his second and final World Cup as a player.