Manchester United may be loathe to label new signing Nani the 'new Ronaldo' but Rio Ferdinand admits comparisons between the two Portugal wingers are inescapable. After a delayed entrance due to an ankle injury sustained on European Under-21 duty in the summer, Nani finally got to make his debut for United in their Far East tour hammering of Shenzhen in Macau.While the standard of opposition, a mid-table team in a poor Chinese league, was debatable, there was no doubting the glimpses of class Nani brought to the occasion. His goal, United's third in a 6-0 romp, was a precise effort, hit first-time from 20 yards after Ryan Giggs had provided the lay-off, and his major assist, a driving run carrying him half the length of the field, was too much for Shenzhen to cope with as Ronaldo eventually fired home.
Plenty of improvement can be expected before Sir Alex Ferguson's men open the defence of their Premier League title against Reading on August 12, with United supporters starting to wonder whether the £17million arrival from Sporting Lisbon can produce the same kind of fireworks Ronaldo did on his debut against Bolton four seasons ago.
"Nani does remind me of a young Ronaldo," Ferdinand told MUTV. "I hope that won't be a burden for him - I am sure it won't be. "He has looked very sharp in training so far. He has played some great football in Portugal for the last few years and hopefully he can bring that to our club."
Nani may have none of Ronaldo's imposing physical attributes and it would appear he may need a little time in the gym before he is ready for the roughhouse that is the Premiership. But he does have some of Ronaldo's pace and dexterity, he certainly shares his self-confidence and — as odd as it sounds — he even runs the same as the player who first blazed the trail from Sporting Lisbon to Old Trafford four summers ago.
Nani struck a low first-time shot with his right foot that beat the goalkeeper low to his right. It was a super strike and one that was followed by a back-flip celebration. Ferguson and United's insurers may wish to have a word with their latest asset about that particular habit.
