Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (born 17 November 1986), commonly known as Nani,
is a Portuguese footballer currently playing as a winger for English
club Manchester United in the Premier League and the Portugal national
team. Although predominantly right-footed, he has been utilised on the
left-wing on many occasions.
Nani
was born in Cape Verde and emigrated to Europe with his family at an
early age. He was raised in Portugal and began his football career
playing for local side Real Massamá. At the age of 16, he began training
with Sporting Clube de Portugal and S.L. Benfica on alternate days,
eventually joining Sporting's youth squad after they offered him
pre-season training. In 2005, he made his professional debut with the
club and won the Portuguese Cup during his second season with them. Nani
was named the SJPF Young Player of the Month for May 2007 and his
performances with Sporting culminated into a move to English club side
Manchester United in July 2007 for a fee of £13.5 million. Nani won the
Community Shield on his competitive debut at the club and has since
added a number of trophies which included the Premier League and
Champions League during his debut season at the club. He has
established himself as first-choice winger at Manchester United and has
won a further Premier League title, the Football League Cup, one FIFA
Club World Cup, and three Community Shield titles. Individually, Nani
has been included into the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA)
Premier League Team of the Year on one occasion and was a nominee for
the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2011.
Nani
is also a Portugal international. Prior to playing at senior level, he
played at under-21 level. He made his senior international debut in
September 2006 in a friendly match against Denmark and scored his first
international goal during the 4–2 defeat in Copenhagen. Since his debut,
he has made 51 appearances and scored 12 goals for Portugal.
Early Life
Nani was born on 17 November 1986 in Praia, Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa.
Nani emigrated with his family to Portugal at an early age. Nani was
raised by his aunt Antonia in the Santa Filomena estate in the Amadora
district of Lisbon after being abandoned by his parents.
At the age of five, his father left for a holiday in Cape Verde but
never returned and when he was 12 years old his mother left Portugal to
start a new life in Holland. Nani has nine siblings from his mother, of which he is the youngest, and five from his father. Nani gained his nickname from an elder sister at a young age.
Nani's older brother taught him how to play football and he played with his childhood friend, midfielder Manuel Fernandes. Around the age of 14, Nani's older brother took him to train with Real Massamá.They were Nani's first club and gave him money, food, and helped him obtain an ID Card and a passport. At the age of 16, Nani was training on alternate days with Sporting and Benfica. Nani sometimes walked miles to and from practice before Sporting offered him pre-season training. Despite growing up in Lisbon, Nani and his brother supported Porto as a boy and his footballing hero was Luís Figo.
Sporting CP
Nani joined Sporting CP from his first club Real Massamá.
After two seasons in the youth team, where he won the National Junior
Championship in 2004–05, Nani was promoted to the first team early in
the 2005–06 season.
On 10 August 2005, Nani made his Sporting debut, coming on as a
substitute for Custódio in the 73rd minute in a 1–0 home defeat to
Udinese in their third-round qualifier in the UEFA Champions League. Nani made his Portuguese Liga debut on 28 August, replacing Deivid in the 76th minute of a 2–1 victory over Marítimo at the Estádio dos Barreiros. Nani scored his first Sporting goal on 30 October, opening the scoring in a 2–2 draw away to Boavista.
Nani ended the first season of his career with 36 appearances and five
goals in all competitions.Nani first came into the spotlight after
scoring in the Champions League against Spartak Moscow, netting Sporting's goal in a 1–1 group stage tie on 27 September 2006. Nani helped Sporting win the 2006–07 Portuguese Cup, lifting the trophy after a 1–0 win over Belenenses on 27 May 2007 in the final.
Nani was then named as the SJPF Young Player of the Month for May 2007.
Nani's second season with Sporting ended with similar league statistics
and 40 appearances and six goals in all competitions.
Manchester United
On 22 August 2010,
Nani missed a penalty in the 87th minute away to Fulham, and they then
equalised two minutes later through Brede Hangeland to end the game 2–2.
Six days later in a 3–0 home victory over West Ham United, Nani netted
his first goal of the season and assisted Dimitar Berbatov in a Man of
the Match display. Nani scored and assisted Michael Owen in a 2–2 away draw away to Bolton Wanderers on 26 September. On 16 October, Nani scored United's second in a 2–2 home draw against West Bromwich Albion.
Four days later Nani scored his first Champions League goal of the
season, netting the solitary strike in a 1–0 home victory over
Bursaspor. Nani scored a controversial second goal as United beat Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 at home on 30 October.
Nani scored into an empty net after Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes
rolled the ball out to take a free-kick that he thought had been given
for handball, however, play was allowed to go on as referee Mark
Clattenburg did not blow his whistle. On 27 November, Nani scored United's fifth goal in a 7–1 home win over Blackburn Rovers. Nani netted his first goal of 2011 as he scored the winning strike in a 2–1 home victory over Stoke City on 4 January.
On 22 January, Nani scored the final goal of a 5–0 home victory over Birmingham City. Nani netted United's only goal in their first league loss of the season, a 2–1 defeat at Wolves on 5 February.
Seven days later Nani scored his first Manchester derby goal, opening
the scoring in a 2–1 home victory over Manchester City.On 6 March,
during United's 3–1 loss against Liverpool at Anfield, Nani was injured
following a challenge from Jamie Carragher just before half-time. Nani
came to tears after the challenge and subsequently he was stretched off
the pitch. Following post-match comments to the press from Manchester
United it was believed Nani had suffered a broken leg. However this was
not the case as he started training the following week. It was thought that Nani would miss up to three weeks as a result of this tackle and would return in April,however, he recovered in time to play 61 minutes of a 2–1 victory over Marseille on 15 March.
He was revealed as a contender for the Professional Footballers'
Association (PFA) Young Player of the Year award alongside teammate
Javier Hernández on 8 April. However, many people, including Nani, expressed their surprise that he was not nominated for the main award. Following this nomination, he assisted both goals in a 2–0 home win over Fulham on 9 April.
Nani lost out to Jack Wilshere for the PFA Young Player of the Year
award on 18 April but he was however included into the PFA Premier
League Team of the Year for the first time. He was awarded for his outstanding season as he was voted Players' Player of the Year at the club's awards night on 18 May.
Nani
began the new season by putting in a man of the match performance and
scoring twice against derby rivals Manchester City in the 2011 Community
Shield, including a 94th minute winner, as United came from two goals
down to win 3–2 on 7 August 2011.
He scored his first league goal of the 2011–12 season by netting
United's fifth goal in an 8–2 victory over Arsenal on 28 August. Nani made his 100th Premier League appearance on 18 September as he scored in a 3–1 home win over Chelsea..
He scored with a long range strike after cutting inside from the right
wing. He was also awarded with the man of the match. In United's
following league game at the Britannia Stadium, Nani scored his third
goal of the season in a 1-1 draw with Stoke City. He played a neat
one-two with Darren Fletcher before slaloming his way through the
defense and firing a low shot inside the left post. Nani started the
match against Manchester city where they fell victim to a 1-6 beating
at home to their neighbours. On 1 November, Nani was shortlisted for
the prestigious FIFA Ballon d'Or one of just four Premier League players
Luis Suarez, Sergio Aguero and fellow Manchester United player Wayne
Rooney
International Career
Nani
made his first appearance for the senior Portuguese team on 1 September
2006, and marked his debut with a goal in Portugal's 4–2 friendly
defeat to Denmark. Nani was omitted from Portugal's 1-1 draw with
Armenia, but was recalled for Euro 2008 qualifiers against Poland and
Serbia in September. He also provided the assist for Ricardo Quaresma's goal in a friendly against Italy on 6 February 2008. Nani was ruled out of Portugal's friendly with Greece in March 2008 due to injury.
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