Nani unexpectedly emerged from retirement in January 2026, signing for Kazakhstan Premier League club Aktobe at the age of 39.
The former Portugal winger enjoyed a successful career in Europe, winning multiple league titles with Sporting CP and Manchester United as well as continental championships with both club and country.
He often seemed to be operating in the shadows of more illustrious players but the 2008 Champions League winner thrived with the guidance of his manager in Manchester.
Nani on the leadership of the Premier League's greatest manager
Nani could be a frustrating talent early in his career, blessed with obvious ability but prone to some dodgy decision-making in the final third and, consequently, a perceived lack of output.
He played for Manchester United for seven seasons, scoring 40 goals in total across 230 appearances. His proficiency in front of goal was broadly similar at international level.
“As a human being, he’s an example to follow. He was very tough – everyone called him 'the boss' and he was deeply respected by everyone inside the club,” Nani tells FourFourTwo.
"Thanks to him, we absorbed the culture of hard work, how to be better professionals and how to fully dedicate ourselves to our work. He’d often give me little warnings, especially when I wasn’t playing well.
"He’d tell me, 'You have to do better, you know you can. Why are you playing so badly? Cross the ball, play your football.'
"At first I didn’t like that, because I wasn’t used to being given such severe, direct feedback, but over time I understood that he did it because he wanted the best for me."
Nani signed for Manchester United as a teenager in 2007, following the path from Sporting CP to Old Trafford taken previously by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Asked about a story former teammate Wayne Rooney tells about Ferguson bawling at the striker about dribbling too much when the point was really being made to Nani, the Portuguese admits to some early fragility but says it didn't last long.
"Maybe at the beginning it was a little difficult, but I adapted quickly and had to mature fast," he tells FourFourTwo.
"When I first arrived at Old Trafford, my English was quite poor, so many of the things Ferguson said, I didn’t understand. I’d be standing there thinking, 'What’s going on?'
"But within a few months I started learning the language. He wasn’t a coach obsessed with tactics, we worked on those things during the week. Then when matchday arrived, we didn’t watch many videos or talk too much about strategy.
"His focus was on motivating us, preparing us mentally to face the opposition, and he did that brilliantly. We went out onto the pitch convinced that we were going to win."
In those days, they usually did.
