Nani vows to take his game 'to the next level' to secure Manchester United starting spot

The return from injury of Antonio Valencia and the summer signing of Ashley Young have left many thinking Nani will struggle to secure a place at United this season, but the 24-year-old says he is going to work harder than ever to seal a first-team spot.

"I will try to take my game to the next level. I will try to do my best. I want to do much better than last season and now we must wait to see how that happens," Nani told Sky Sports News.

“I am feeling confident for the new season and I hope to do my best and help the team win trophies.”

Nani’s most notable absence was in the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona at Wembley, with Sir Alex opting to play Park Ji-Sung and Valencia on the wings, with the Portugal international having to settle for a place on the bench and a 20 minute cameo appearance.

The winger played a starring role in United’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona in Washington on Saturday, scoring the opening goal.

Pep Guardiola fielded a weakened side missing several key players such as Lionel Messi and Dani Alves, but Nani was encouraged by his performance, just two weeks before United kick off their Premier League campaign away at West Brom.

He continued: "I'm obviously very happy because I did well and the team is playing very good football in pre-season.

"Our fitness is getting better and it's good to feel this way."