‘Sir Bobby Robson was once your manager at PSV. How would you describe his management style and what did you learn from him?
He was a really influential manager for me. I was 21 when I joined PSV, the biggest club in Holland and he was the manager. He passed on his passion, his desire for football and his vision for the game on to me. It’s amazing how he passes on fighting spirit and great feeling to the players. He did that to me and I’m very grateful for that.
You scored in both games against Newcastle last season. What do you remember about those two matches?
The away game, we were 3-0 down and got it back to 3-3, that was a great comeback. Unfortunately we lost in the end, though. At home we had a good win, 3-1 I think it was. We were very dominant in that game. Having scored I have great memories of those games.
Alan Shearer recently scored his 300th Premiership goal – is he a player you admire?
Yes he is. Looking at his career, it’s amazing how he still plays as he does. He’s strong and a great all-round player with his feet, his head and holding the ball up. He’s a great character too, and great to play with, I’d think. It’s a shame he never joined United!
You are not afraid to fight for the ball with defenders, and this often sees you penalised for fouls – do you think referees are sometimes too hard on you? Defenders always seem to get away with murder…
Yes. Sometimes you’re just fighting for the ball, and blowing the whistle is ridiculous. Some referees will see it as an attacking foul, whereas if the defender did the same on me the referee would see it as normal. It’s strange sometimes. But I’m not complaining, the standard of refereeing in this country is very good, much better than on the continent, when they never explain their decisions to you. Here, if you’re losing it a little bit they will talk to you and get you to calm down. That’s good.
United have struggled to keep pace with both Arsenal and Liverpool recently – what do you think have been the reasons behind the team’s failure to hit top gear so far?
We’ve won some games, but they’ve always been 1-0s and 2-1. We haven’t really had an easy game this year, except against Zalaegerszeg and Maccabi Haifa at home. We’ve not had a really good victory in the Premiership yet, and we’re still looking for it. We’ve not been playing well, and it’s hard to say what the reason for that is. It’s not been going smoothly. Some parts of games have been good, but we’ve not been able to put together ninety minutes of smooth attacking football yet this season. That’s what United is good at, and that’s why we need to think as individuals how we can get back to doing that.
So a big win in the League might get some confidence back in the team?
I hope so. Then we might start getting forward altogether then. That’s important – to attack as a team and defend as a team. To play compact. We can only get better.
How much do you think Roy Keane’s absence has affected the team?
A lot. He’s very dominant in our team, and of course we miss him a lot. But the club have enough players who can play in his position who can do well as well. That’s why we have a big squad. But there’s no doubt he’s a very influential player at this club.
What have been your impressions of Roy since you came to the club?
He’s a very strong person – not just physically but as a personality as well. He doesn’t let things affect him much, that’s very admirable. He’s always there when it’s necessary to fight, and he lifts my game as well when he’s around.
So his cajoling on the pitch really helps you?
Oh yes. When things are going well, they’re going well. But if they’re not going well he’s the one who’s there first to show us why they’re not going well. He can lift the team with that.
What have you made of the atmosphere at games in England? Everyone wants to beat United and the opposing fans can be very hostile – has the intensity of the crowds at away games shocked you?
I like it. I don’t find them hostile at all – they don’t scare me or anything like that. I love a nice atmosphere with a lot of singing, chanting and a lot of enthusiastic people in the stands. It’s good to play in. At home they cheer you on and away they do everything they can to put you off so you play badly. I like that too!
So you feed off that?
You feel good about it, yes. If people shout at you it’s not because you’re a bad player, it’s because they’re worried about what you can do to their team.
What has been the best atmosphere you have played in with United?
I’d say the United v Liverpool game last season. Unfortunately we lost but the atmosphere was very special. That’s the noisiest I’ve heard Old Trafford.
What has been your favourite goal for United and why?
My favourite is still my first – the goal against Liverpool in the Charity Shield. It was very special to score in front of all the United fans in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. We were 2-0 down at the time, and that goal got us back in the game. We deserved more from the game, but it was still a special moment.
You got off to a good start, but Diego Forlan had to wait a long time to score his first goal for United – did you offer him any advice during his barren spell?
I didn’t say anything to him, as I could see how hard he was working and I knew he would come good in the end. It was amazing how he kept working at it, kept his head down and now he’s reaping the rewards with his goals now. He didn’t need any help from me.