Happy 34th birthday, Nani! The man who divided opinion at Manchester United.
The Portuguese winger produced many magical moments during his eight years at Old Trafford but was also hugely inconsistent at times.
In truth, he probably suffered from the mere fact he wasn’t Cristiano Ronaldo. From the moment he arrived from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2007, Nani was constantly compared to his compatriot.
Matching Ronaldo’s performance levels would have been impossible for any player, although Nani certainly came close at times.
He produced double figures for goals and assists in both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
Nani made 230 appearances for the Red Devils, winning four Premier League titles, two League Cups, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
Since leaving Old Trafford permanently in 2015, many United fans now have more of an appreciation for what Nani achieved at the club. They also look back and realise what a good player he was.
Nani moved to Fenerbahce after leaving United before spells at Valencia, Lazio (loan) and Sporting.
Since 2019, Nani has been plying his trade in America with Orlando City.
And if you didn’t already know, the veteran Portuguese star is now in absolutely incredible physical condition.
Nani posted this photo last year, showing off his impressive physique after a workout…
He then posted this photo on Instagram earlier this year…
Cristiano would be proud of those abs!
Like Ronaldo, Nani is keen to show off his muscular build whenever the opportunity arises. And why not, eh?
Here are some more recent photos from his Instagram…
(Credit: Nani on Instagram).
He’s clearly been hitting the gym hard in recent years.
Nani was a little on the skinny side when he first joined Man Utd - again, much like Ronaldo was - but it’s hard to imagine him being pushed around by players with MLS.
That said, the former Premier League star was left in tears a couple of weeks ago after receiving a harsh red card following a VAR review.