One of the big factors in United’s success in recent seasons has been the team’s form at Old Trafford. What is it about the ground that gives United such a big advantage?
When you’re playing at Old Trafford you have 70-odd thousand people behind you and that generates a special atmosphere. Also, the way we play is different to anybody else in the league – we like to attack teams at Old Trafford and we’ll keep attacking teams until we break them down. We’re also used to the big pitch and that favours attacking teams. If you want to spend most of the game defending then ideally you’ll be playing on a small pitch so you can keep the game compact; a lot of teams find it hard to contain us at Old Trafford.
Which Old Trafford atmospheres stick in your mind?
I always remember the day we beat Chelsea 1-0 back in November 2005. At the time, Chelsea were really gathering momentum. Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich had come to the club and shaken things up a bit. Chelsea had signed some good players and spent a lot of money and their league position reflected that. But I remember walking out of the tunnel and hearing our fans and thinking they were really up for it. It was an amazing atmosphere and it helped make for a great day.
So fans really can have an impact on what happens on the pitch?
They definitely play their part. When the fans are right behind you and you can hear them singing and hear how passionate they are, it really lifts you. It sounds silly but when the fans are up for it you feel like you can run faster and further. They inspire you to do things you might not have thought you could do. Away from home our fans are always brilliant. I’ve never known United fans not to take up a full allocation in the away end and they sing non-stop throughout the game. It’s unbelievable and it looks like a mad experience. Sometimes you wish you were in there with them, singing all the songs! It looks like a lot of fun. Our supporters are definitely the best away fans in the league.
You missed five weeks of football earlier this year. What sort of spectator are you when you’re not on the pitch?
I hate watching! I obviously want the team to do well and it’s a real pleasure to watch United play football, but I’d always prefer to be out there on the pitch. It’s not easy watching when you’re not playing, but it’s something you have to put up with and you work every day to try and get yourself back to full fitness. To be honest, I get a lot more nervous when I’m not playing. It’s a horrible feeling knowing you can’t have any influence on the game. But those spells on the sideline help you realise why the fans keep turning up to see us play. We always try and entertain and play attacking football, and I think we’ve done that well over the last few years.
How true is it that success makes you hungrier for more trophies?
There’s no doubt about it. When you win the league, for instance, you know it will be even more disappointing the next season if you don’t win it again. You’ve already proved you’re good enough to do it, so you can’t see it as anything but a failure if you don't retain the trophy. The history of the club demands we continue winning, and the manager demands we continue winning.
United have been there and won it before. Will experience play a part this season?
I think it could. We know what we’ve got to do and we know in some games we might not dominate proceedings. But we have the experience to know that that’s what happens sometimes and we have the belief to keep going until the end. If we have to nick a 1-0 win at the end then that’s fine. In fact, those games are often some of the most important when you look back on the season.
Is there anything you haven’t won yet that you’ve got your sights set on?
The FA Cup, without a doubt. If I’m honest, it’s probably the trophy I wanted to win the most when I was growing up. Like most kids I grew up dreaming of scoring the winner in an FA Cup final at Wembley. Also, as an Everton fan I wasn’t under any illusions that we were good enough to win the league, so the cup competitions were much more realistic. The FA Cup has such a big history and that’s stuck with me from back then. I still want to win it. I’ve played in two finals with United and lost them both and that’s a horrible feeling. I’m desperate to win that trophy.
Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have all been tremendous this season. You didn’t begin your career at United, but can you see yourself still at Old Trafford when you’re 34 or 35 years old?
I really hope so. I’ve always said that as long as United want me I’m happy to stay at the club. I don’t want to leave. I love the club and I have no reason to move or even think about moving. I’m sure I’ll be here for a long time.
