The return of Antonio Valencia from injury last term meant Nani took a backseat for some encounters, most notably the Champions League final against Barcelona in May. The Portuguese ace had to settle for a late cameo from the bench in that clash as the Spanish giants eased to a 3-1 victory. The arrival of England winger Ashley Young at Old Trafford this summer could mean Nani will face an even tougher task holding onto his spot in Ferguson's first team. But the 24-year-old is certain he can do just that when the new campaign gets underway. He said: "I am always very confident. I didn't lose my place to Valencia. The last two or three games the manager made his decisions and, of course, you have to respect this. "But now I am feeling confident for the new season and I hope to do my best and help the team win trophies. "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." The winger played a starring role in United's 2-1 friendly win over Barca in Washington on Saturday, scoring the opening goal. Pep Guardiola fielded a side missing several key players such as Lionel Messi and Dani Alves, but Nani was nevertheless buoyed by both his individual display and the end result. He said: "It's a different game, but 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."
