NEMANJA MATIC'S FIRST MUTV INTERVIEW
NEMANJA MATIC'S FIRST MUTV INTERVIEW
Nemanja Matic gave an exclusive interview to MUTV shortly after becoming Manchester United's third signing of the 2017 summer transfer window.
Here's a transcript of what the Serbian had to say to Stewart Gardner - the full video can be seen on MUTV from 17:30 BST today (Monday), including on demand via the MUTV App and MUTV.com.
Here's a transcript of what the Serbian had to say to Stewart Gardner - the full video can be seen on MUTV from 17:30 BST today (Monday), including on demand via the MUTV App and MUTV.com.
Nemanja, first of all, welcome to Manchester United. How do you feel about becoming a Manchester United player?
I feel great. Manchester [United] is one of the biggest clubs in the world and I am very happy because I am now part of this great club, part of this great group. I am looking forward to start to train with the team and to start to play the games.
You're leaving a team that won the Premier League so what is it about Manchester United that made you want to sign for the club?
As we know, as I said, Manchester is one of the biggest clubs in the world. Also, my wish was to train with Jose [Mourinho] and, of course, when you have a coach like him and a club like Manchester is, you don't need to think a lot so my decision was very easy.
How much are you looking forward to working with Jose Mourinho again?
I am very happy because we will work again together. He is a great coach and, when I worked with him before, he always took the best from me and I improve if I work with him, so I am very happy to be again with him, especially in this great club so I am happy because of that.
This is the second time that Jose has signed you. It must give you much confidence to know that he rates you so highly?
Of course, of course. When the coach wants you to come to the club, it gives you more motivation, more possibility and I will try to, not try, I will, for sure, give my best to show that I deserve to be in this club and part of this group.
How pleased are you to have completed the move before the season starts, to give you time to get to know your team-mates?It's very important to come to new clubs as soon as possible, to have time to adapt to the coach's wishes, to adapt to your new team-mates and I am happy that I will have some days to train with them before the first big game, which is against Real Madrid. I am sure that this season, all together, we can do big things.
You have been training at Chelsea but you haven't been playing in their pre-season matches so how are you in terms of your fitness and match fitness as we go into the new season?As you know probably, I didn't train with the team, I trained alone and with a fitness coach and, of course, it's not the same when you train alone and when you are with the team. But I have enough time before the season starts to prepare myself. Of course, I am not 100 per cent ready but I will be very soon.
What do you know about the new signings Romelu Lukaku and Victor Lindelof? Victor, like you, played for Benfica of course...
Yeah, I know them. With Victor, we have been together at Benfica, [in] Lisbon. Lukaku, I didn't play with him because when I left Chelsea [the first time], he just signed there and I didn't have an opportunity to train and to play with him. But I know him because we have played many times against each other. Both of them are great players and I think they are going to help Manchester to reach the targets.
You know what it takes to win the Premier League, after two championships with Chelsea in the last three seasons. Do you feel the United squad is ready to challenge for the title?I think so. I think that this squad is ready because it is more mature, they already work with Jose for one year so they know what they have to do and I am sure that this season we can do many things.
How would you describe yourself as a player - what are your best qualities?
It's difficult to say something because I will let supporters talk about me. But what I said before, I always give my best, I always try to do even more than I can on the pitch but [as for] my qualities, I will let the supporters talk about that.
Your particular role, the defensive midfielder, has become a very important position in modern football, hasn't it?Yes, of course. In that position, the player needs to give balance to the team, he needs to control the game and that is exactly what I try to do. I cannot say that position is more important than any other position but, when you play in the centre of the pitch, you have to know every time where the ball is when you [your team] have the ball. And when you attack also, you have to know how to stop the opponents to make a counter-attack because, as I said, in that position you have to give balance always.
Your namesake and fellow countryman Nemanja Vidic was obviously a legend here. Is he someone you used to look up to?Vidic, as you know, was a great player and one of the players where I look to be similar because he had a great career. When I come for the first time to the Serbia national team, he was one of the captains, he was a leader of our national team so he's great. It's great to be at the same club like him and I will try to do my best to repeat what he does. I know that is going to be very hard but I will try to do the best because I don't want that, one day, he tells me 'What are you doing there?!' So I will try to do my best for him to be happy.
United fans still sing a song about him. Are you hoping they sing a song about you as well?Yeah, they can sing the same one I guess!
You've played against United at Old Trafford, but how do you think you will feel when you next run out there, this time in a red shirt with over 70,000 fans cheering you on?It's going to be something special because, to play at Old Trafford in a Manchester shirt, I think, is something special. I didn't have that opportunity yet but for sure it's going to be great and yes, I am looking forward to that.
What do you hope to achieve as a United player, as an individual and as a member of the team?
As a member of the team, I think we can do many things. I'm sure that we will try to win the Premier League. Also, the Champions League, you never know what can happen. In the Champions League, everything is possible, [there are] many good teams, the best teams in Europe so Manchester is one of the best for sure and it's very, very difficult to make a plan before the season starts but we will try to win every game, if it is possible.
We're excited to be back in the Champions League. How excited will you be to play in that particular competition?Yes, as you know I missed last year also the Champions League, I didn't play, so this competition is something special and they are the best clubs in Europe and it's always special when you play in that. Yeah, we are all happy that we can play Champions League and to compare with the best teams in Europe.
Which players do you know well here and who will help you to settle in?I know a couple of players, of course especially [Juan] Mata because he played with me. I already saw him this morning. But most of the guys, of course, I played against them and I think adaptation is going to be quick.
Hopefully, you will get to play in the UEFA Super Cup against Real Madrid. What a way to start the season…Yes of course, it's going to be a great game. Manchester United and Real Madrid, two big clubs, in the Super Cup, so it's going to be an interesting game. I think the whole world is going to watch that so I'm very happy that we can already compare our qualities with them. As you know, they are Champions League winners and it's going to be a hard game but I'm sure we're going to be ready.
Finally, do you have a message for the millions of United supporters around the world who will be watching or reading this interview?Of course. That message is one that we will give our best to make them happy and to win the league this season. Yeah, that's it - [we'll give] our best and we will give more than 100 per cent.
Watch the exclusive first interview with Nemanja Matic on MUTV from 17:30 BST today (Monday), including on demand via the MUTV App and MUTV.com.
I feel great. Manchester [United] is one of the biggest clubs in the world and I am very happy because I am now part of this great club, part of this great group. I am looking forward to start to train with the team and to start to play the games.
You're leaving a team that won the Premier League so what is it about Manchester United that made you want to sign for the club?
As we know, as I said, Manchester is one of the biggest clubs in the world. Also, my wish was to train with Jose [Mourinho] and, of course, when you have a coach like him and a club like Manchester is, you don't need to think a lot so my decision was very easy.
How much are you looking forward to working with Jose Mourinho again?
I am very happy because we will work again together. He is a great coach and, when I worked with him before, he always took the best from me and I improve if I work with him, so I am very happy to be again with him, especially in this great club so I am happy because of that.
This is the second time that Jose has signed you. It must give you much confidence to know that he rates you so highly?
Of course, of course. When the coach wants you to come to the club, it gives you more motivation, more possibility and I will try to, not try, I will, for sure, give my best to show that I deserve to be in this club and part of this group.
How pleased are you to have completed the move before the season starts, to give you time to get to know your team-mates?It's very important to come to new clubs as soon as possible, to have time to adapt to the coach's wishes, to adapt to your new team-mates and I am happy that I will have some days to train with them before the first big game, which is against Real Madrid. I am sure that this season, all together, we can do big things.
You have been training at Chelsea but you haven't been playing in their pre-season matches so how are you in terms of your fitness and match fitness as we go into the new season?As you know probably, I didn't train with the team, I trained alone and with a fitness coach and, of course, it's not the same when you train alone and when you are with the team. But I have enough time before the season starts to prepare myself. Of course, I am not 100 per cent ready but I will be very soon.
What do you know about the new signings Romelu Lukaku and Victor Lindelof? Victor, like you, played for Benfica of course...
Yeah, I know them. With Victor, we have been together at Benfica, [in] Lisbon. Lukaku, I didn't play with him because when I left Chelsea [the first time], he just signed there and I didn't have an opportunity to train and to play with him. But I know him because we have played many times against each other. Both of them are great players and I think they are going to help Manchester to reach the targets.
You know what it takes to win the Premier League, after two championships with Chelsea in the last three seasons. Do you feel the United squad is ready to challenge for the title?I think so. I think that this squad is ready because it is more mature, they already work with Jose for one year so they know what they have to do and I am sure that this season we can do many things.
How would you describe yourself as a player - what are your best qualities?
It's difficult to say something because I will let supporters talk about me. But what I said before, I always give my best, I always try to do even more than I can on the pitch but [as for] my qualities, I will let the supporters talk about that.
Your particular role, the defensive midfielder, has become a very important position in modern football, hasn't it?Yes, of course. In that position, the player needs to give balance to the team, he needs to control the game and that is exactly what I try to do. I cannot say that position is more important than any other position but, when you play in the centre of the pitch, you have to know every time where the ball is when you [your team] have the ball. And when you attack also, you have to know how to stop the opponents to make a counter-attack because, as I said, in that position you have to give balance always.
Your namesake and fellow countryman Nemanja Vidic was obviously a legend here. Is he someone you used to look up to?Vidic, as you know, was a great player and one of the players where I look to be similar because he had a great career. When I come for the first time to the Serbia national team, he was one of the captains, he was a leader of our national team so he's great. It's great to be at the same club like him and I will try to do my best to repeat what he does. I know that is going to be very hard but I will try to do the best because I don't want that, one day, he tells me 'What are you doing there?!' So I will try to do my best for him to be happy.
United fans still sing a song about him. Are you hoping they sing a song about you as well?Yeah, they can sing the same one I guess!
You've played against United at Old Trafford, but how do you think you will feel when you next run out there, this time in a red shirt with over 70,000 fans cheering you on?It's going to be something special because, to play at Old Trafford in a Manchester shirt, I think, is something special. I didn't have that opportunity yet but for sure it's going to be great and yes, I am looking forward to that.
What do you hope to achieve as a United player, as an individual and as a member of the team?
As a member of the team, I think we can do many things. I'm sure that we will try to win the Premier League. Also, the Champions League, you never know what can happen. In the Champions League, everything is possible, [there are] many good teams, the best teams in Europe so Manchester is one of the best for sure and it's very, very difficult to make a plan before the season starts but we will try to win every game, if it is possible.
We're excited to be back in the Champions League. How excited will you be to play in that particular competition?Yes, as you know I missed last year also the Champions League, I didn't play, so this competition is something special and they are the best clubs in Europe and it's always special when you play in that. Yeah, we are all happy that we can play Champions League and to compare with the best teams in Europe.
Which players do you know well here and who will help you to settle in?I know a couple of players, of course especially [Juan] Mata because he played with me. I already saw him this morning. But most of the guys, of course, I played against them and I think adaptation is going to be quick.
Hopefully, you will get to play in the UEFA Super Cup against Real Madrid. What a way to start the season…Yes of course, it's going to be a great game. Manchester United and Real Madrid, two big clubs, in the Super Cup, so it's going to be an interesting game. I think the whole world is going to watch that so I'm very happy that we can already compare our qualities with them. As you know, they are Champions League winners and it's going to be a hard game but I'm sure we're going to be ready.
Finally, do you have a message for the millions of United supporters around the world who will be watching or reading this interview?Of course. That message is one that we will give our best to make them happy and to win the league this season. Yeah, that's it - [we'll give] our best and we will give more than 100 per cent.
Watch the exclusive first interview with Nemanja Matic on MUTV from 17:30 BST today (Monday), including on demand via the MUTV App and MUTV.com.
