United defender shares his thoughts on the season opener.
Do the players look forward to the Community Shield? Definitely. It’s an achievement just to get here. It’s also a great gauge for individuals and for the team to see where we’re at physically. We’ve had some time to recuperate [from the Asia Tour], so we should be at the top of our game.
You’ll be up against Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka on Sunday. Is that always a difficult test?They’re both very talented footballers and we’ve had some good battles in the past. Didier’s physical presence means you always have to be on your toes – he challenges for every ball and he’s very direct when he has possession. Then you’ve got Nicolas Anelka, who’s a fantastic finisher. I think he’s up there with some of the best centre forwards in the world. We know it’s going to be a tough game, but as defenders we relish playing against top opposition.
United have been scoring plenty of goals during pre-season… A lot of people thought the goals might dry up this season after [Cristiano] Ronaldo left, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a problem creating chances. That will continue this season, and that’s the great thing about having someone like Michael Owen in the team. He knows all about putting the ball in the back of the net. I’m sure if you typed ‘fox in the box’ into a search engine, he would be right near the top. He won’t be the only one who scores, though. The players we have here are big enough to take on that responsibility.
What have you made of Owen so far, and the other new signings?Owen’s been brilliant. He’s scored a few goals and looks revitalised here at United. I think he’s really enjoying playing for us and he has that fire in the belly again. If he can stay fit then I’m sure he’ll have a terrific season.
We’ve been impressed by Valencia so far. He looks very sharp, very quick and direct in the way he plays. I think he’s going to be a very good addition to the squad.
What are the club’s aims for this season?
I want to win everything. If we do that, amazing. If not, then we hope we at least win one or two. It might sound greedy, but I can’t even contemplate entering a competition and not wanting to win it. That just doesn’t make sense to me. The Premier League’s our bread and butter and we want make history by winning it four times in a row.
The full interview will be in the official Match Programme for the game, which can be ordered now by clicking here.
