THE LOWDOWN ON NEMANJA MATIC
NEW SIGNINGS STORIES
31/07/2017 16:05, Report by Adam Marshall
THE LOWDOWN ON NEMANJA MATIC
Manchester United's third signing of this summer, Nemanja Matic, is an unsung hero - the sort of player who makes teams click, with minimum fuss but maximum effiency.
The Serbia international may share three quarters of his name with a fellow countryman who made a hugely endearing impact at Old Trafford in Nemanja Vidic, but he is a very different type of footballer. Tough, yes, but rather than being an out-and-out warrior like the former centre-back, he's a holding midfielder who screens the defence and uses his intelligence.
As is the case with United captain Michael Carrick, who performs a similar role, we should not expect Matic to regularly get on the scoresheet, even though the 29-year-old did grab one of the greatest goals of last season with an absolute screamer in Chelsea's 4-2 Emirates FA Cup semi-final win over Tottenham Hotspur. Finding the net himself is not his forte, however; instead, he allows other attacking players to flourish with his in-game nous and tactical acumen.
Jose Mourinho, of course, is a huge admirer of the Serb's talents and is reunited with a key pivot of his last title-winning side, who was recognised by his peers with a place in the 2014/15 PFA Team of the Season. After helping Antonio Conte's men land the Premier League crown again last term, Matic will only find one new United team-mate who has won the division more times - Carrick - so there is no doubting he has the pedigree and winning mentality.
After starting his senior career with FK Kolubara, a Serbian side based in Lazarevac, Matic really made his mark in Slovakia with Kosice. Only 18, he still describes it as his "first big trip" and it was a gamble that paid off. His coach Allen Bula said in 2013: "No-one knew about Matic, and no one wanted to put their faith in him. I said many, many years ago he was going to be one of the top players in Europe and look where he is now."
Then an attacking midfielder, Matic began to impress scouts, as he also represented his homeland's Under-21 team and broke into the senior squad. Chelsea snapped him up in 2009 but, as is a well-trodden career path for Blues youngsters, he was loaned out to Vitesse Arnhem a year later, after initially being sidelined due to injury, and watching the likes of Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack bar his way into the first team.
Benfica managed to secure Matic's services on a permanent basis when negotiating the sale of David Luiz to Stamford Bridge in January 2011 and it would prove a costly decision for the London club. Thriving in a deeper role in midfield, he became a star in his new role and was clearly one of the best performers in the Portuguese league, winning the individual Player of the Year prize in 2013, while also gaining vital European experience.
Indeed, Benfica progressed all the way through to the Europa League final and faced Chelsea, only losing to a late goal by Branislav Ivanovic, Matic's international team-mate. Future United star Juan Mata was on the winning side with the Blues that night at the Amsterdam Arena.
The Serbian's successful shift in position from a no.10 to a no.6 was all down to Benfica boss Jorge Jesus, as the player himself once recalled. "The coach told me, ‘You are going to play like a defensive midfielder’," said Matic. "I said, ‘Me?’ He said, ‘Yes, I think you can play better in that position.
"I had never played that position before. In the start, I didn’t play so well, but he believed in me, he believed in my quality, and kept saying, ‘Just do what I ask and slowly you will play better and better’. I did."
In early 2014, Chelsea opted to set up a return to the English capital and splashed out a considerable fee, reportedly in excess of £20 million, to re-sign their former player. It proved a wise move as he became a permanent fixture under Mourinho as the Blues swept to the 2014/15 title.
"He is the best player," enthused Jose. "He was signed in the most difficult market, which is for the players who are coming in mid-season. The last half of the [2013/14] season was for him to improve. Not to adapt, as he was a Chelsea player before, but to improve. At this moment, he is a giant, not for his size but for the way he plays. The man is a giant."
Chelsea performed below par in 2015/16 but returned to the top last season and won another Premier League title in commanding fashion, with Matic again a key component, this time under new manager Antonio Conte.
Mourinho also once described the Serbia international as "wise and stable", just the kind of qualities required to help form the base of a title-winning team. It's little wonder that the Reds boss wanted to be reunited with him - Matic is somebody he clearly values so highly.
So the 6ft 4in competitor, a left-footed player with a rare mix of poise and power, becomes the second ex-Chelsea man to arrive in Manchester this summer, following the capture of striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton. The direct switch from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford has also been made in the recent past - when Mata arrived by helicopter in January 2014 - and here's to Matic being just as popular and successful as the Spaniard.
