Rangers centre-back Bruno Alves has revealed that he found it difficult to mark former Manchester United winger Nani.
Alves first came up against Nani when the duo played in Portugal; while the defender turned out for FC Porto, the wide-man represented Sporting Lisbon.
Nani, who played with Alves in the Portuguese national team and also at Fenerbahce, joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in 2007 and much was expected of him at Old Trafford.
He helped the Red Devils to win four Premier League titles, two League Cups and a Champions League before returning to Sporting Lisbon on a loan deal in 2014 after he slipped out of the first team picture in England.
And Alves, who explained that it was not easy for him to mark Nani whenever they crossed paths in Portugal, branded his compatriot a “world class player.”
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“In Portugal I had the chance to play against him when he was at Sporting Lisbon”, Alves told Rangers TV.
“He was really, really difficult to mark because he was very fast and technical.
“He could come inside to shoot with his left foot and also his right.
“It is really difficult to mark these kind of players because it’s very difficult to predict what they’re going to do.
“I had the chance to play with him in the national team and also at Fenerbahce.
“He is a guy who can do everything.
“He can shoot with both his feet, can cross and is a good free-kick taker.
“He is a world class player.”
Nani, who is currently on loan at Lazio from Valencia, won the European Championship with Portugal last year, with Alves also being part of the successful squad.
The winger, who is now 31 years old, made 230 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United, scoring 40 goals in the process.
