Nani Following In Ronaldo's Footsteps

It appears that history is repeating itself.

For the majority of the season the jury has been out amongst United fans over our latest Portuguese winger signed from Sporting Lisbon. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani's first season in England has seen moments of occasional brilliance marred by inconsistency and the repeated failure to choose the right option.

However, on Easter Sunday, the 21-year-old came off the bench to put the final nail in Liverpool's coffin by slamming home a superb strike past Pepe Reina.

The goal will have done wonders for Nani's confidence as well as the confidence of the United faithful in the youngster's ability.

Nani's effective cameo performance was another in a recent string of impressive displays, and it seems that the talent is there for him to complement his international teammate on the opposite wing and to establish himself as United's first choice on the left flank.

With Ryan Giggs once again showing his age against Liverpool - sadly becoming an increasingly peripheral figure in the matches he plays in - Nani's recent rise to prominence is a welcome sight and gives our supporters hope that we have the man to step into the long shadow of the Welshman.

The Portuguese international still has a long way to go before he becomes the finished article. Despite the moments which help to strengthen the comparisons with the best player in the Premiership, Ronaldo; the young pretender still has a frustrating tendency to attempt the audacious or to go for glory rather than play in a teammate.

If there's one lesson that the career of Cristiano Ronaldo has taught United fans, though, it's not to judge a youngster in their first couple of seasons. Nani is on the same learning curve as Ronaldo was four seasons ago but has shown more than enough glimpses of quality to suggest he may one day emulate the successes of his elder compatriot.

This summer could provide a golden opportunity for Nani to make a name for himself on the international scene with the European Championships taking place in Austria and Switzerland. If Scolari opts to play Nani, the chance will be there for the 21-year-old to have a similar impact as what Ronaldo had at Euro 2004 - where he helped to spearhead Portugal's run to the final of the tournament, losing somewhat unfortunately to eventual winners Greece.

It would be perfect if Nani comes back from Euro 2008 as a more mature and well-rounded player. These tournaments are often the making of talented youngsters such as Nani, and is precisely what happened to Ronaldo after the last European Championships. But does Nani really possess the talent to become anywhere near as effective as Ronaldo?

The past couple of months have given our fans a renewed sense of optimism in the search for Giggs' eventual replacement, and if Nani can be half as successful as our current number seven, Old Trafford will once again be graced with two of the finest wingers in world football.