After joining Manchester United following a recommendation by Martin Ferguson - Sir Alex Ferguson's brother and one of his most trusted scouts - Anderson was under pressure to deliver at Old Trafford. Ferguson the manager was told that the midfielder could become a better player than Wayne Rooney, with Anderson having been named the best player at the recent Under-17 World Cup.
The Brazilian signed for £27m at just 19 years of age, joining United in the summer of 2007. His career in England began brightly as he featured on 38 occasions for in his first season at United- winning the Premier League and the Champions League in 2008.
While he wasn't included in the starting XI against Chelsea in Moscow, Anderson came on as a substitute and calmly dispatched his penalty in the shootout, which the Reds won 6-5. He was, by all accounts, one of the first players to stick his hand in the air and volunteer to take a spot-kick. He had never felt pressure like it, and yet, he was one of the calmest people in the entire stadium.
