Nani recalls driving Sir Alex Ferguson home after missing penalty against Fulham

Former Manchester United winger Nani enjoyed a decent relationship with club manager Sir Alex Ferguson during his eight-season stay at Old Trafford. The duo won several accolades together including the Champions League in 2008. The former Man United star recalled an anecdote when the legendary manager was upset with him and didn't speak to him. 

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Nani recalls driving Sir Alex Ferguson back home after penalty miss

While speaking on the UTD podcast, Nani recalled the time he drove Sir Alex Ferguson back to his home after a game against Fulham in August 2010. The 33-year-old revealed that after the game against Fulham, he was driving back home when the manager was looking for someone who stays close to him to drop him home. Nani urged Ferguson to get in the car, which he did. 

Nani went on to reveal that throughout the drive back home, Sir Alex Ferguson did not speak a word with the winger. Nani had missed a penalty in that game, which left the manager visibly frustrated. He revealed that had he scored the penalty, the score would have been 3-2 in favour of Man United. However, the Red Devils were forced to share points with Fulham courtesy of Nani's penalty miss. 

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Nani reveals Sir Alex Ferguson's anger in the dressing room 

Nani opened up on the dressing room scenes after the penalty miss. He recalled that Sir Alex Ferguson questioned his decision to take the penalty. The manager even lashed out at Ryan Giggs for allowing Nani to take the penalty instead of himself. Giggs blamed the Portuguese saying that he simply grabbed the ball and went up for the spot-kick. 

Nani spent a total of eight seasons at Man United before he departed for Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon on loan in 2015. He managed to make a total of 230 appearances for the Old Trafford outfit, while also scoring 40 goals in all. The 33-year-old winger won a total of four Premier League titles, along with the famous Champions League triumph in his very first season. 

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Why did Nani leave Man United? 

The question remains - Why did Nani leave Man United? The Portuguese international joined Sporting Lisbon on loan in 2015, despite renewing his contract with the club in September 2014. However, injuries posed a threat to his chances of continuing at the club. He was subsequently loaned back to his former Portuguese club, with defender Marcos Rojo joining the Old Trafford outfit as part of the deal. The winger claims that he felt relieved after leaving the Premier League giants, emphasising the pressure at the club. 

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