Nemanja Matic won two Premier League titles during his time at Chelsea, one of which was under his current manager at Manchester United, Jose Mourinho. Despite the tension that transpired between Chelsea and United in the summer transfer market over the Romelu Lukaku transaction, Matic was allowed to leave Stamford Bridge and go to Old Trafford.
Word was that Chelsea didn’t want to do business with United at all, but owner Roman Abramovich supposedly stepped in and personally sanctioned the sale himself, as a reward to the Serbian for his club loyalty.
That narrative has never been confirmed, as Abramovich is a very secretive and aloof figure, but it’s reported in numerous outlets.
Nemanja Matic has always had a soft spot for United, and it’s a club that he’s always greatly admired for their rich tradition and elite history.
“To play for Manchester United has always been a dream of mine,” the midfielder told Scandinavian supporters’ magazine United-Supporteren.
“I’m living my dream now, and of course I have a dream about winning the league with United. I still remember I watched the Champions League final in 1999 on the television. I know everything, or at least almost everything, about Manchester United.
“United was a big team back then. They had many fantastic players, but for me, Ryan Giggs was the greatest. When Nemanja Vidic came to United, I also admired him.”
Nemanja Matic has arguably been the best overall player for United this season, and his steady presence gives Mourinho what is essentially a coach on the pitch in many regards. He works very well under Mourinho and looks to achieve even more glory with him this season.
“Let’s see what we can achieve together — however, I think we can go far. It’s difficult to make promises in football. I can’t promise that we’ll win the league. However, I can promise that I will give 100 percent and we’ll see how far it takes us,” Matic continued.
The playmaker knows that’s a very uphill climb to win the league title this year, as Manchester City have achieved the best record ever for a Premier League team up until this point in the season. United are in second place, but eight points adrift, with crunch clashes coming up at Watford and Arsenal this week.
“If we were to win the league it would be a very big deal, not only for me but for the club and the fans as well,” said Nemanja Matic.
“I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen. The fans can at least expect that I will give absolutely everything in every game. I will always give 100 percent.”
The first Manchester Derby is coming up soon, as the two teams will meet at Old Trafford on December 10.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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