A Manchester United legend has secured a surprise return to the pitch.placeholder image
A Manchester United legend has secured a surprise return to the pitch. | AFP via Getty Images
A former Manchester United star has secured a surprise return to football over 12 months after retirement
How quickly things can change at Manchester United. It may be the fresh ideas of Michael Carrick, maybe his reminders of the teachings he learnt during the Sir Alex Ferguson days of yesteryear. Whatever he has done has clearly worked.
Stunning victories over both of the Premier League’s current top two since Carrick returned as head coach have led to an increased belief that United can reach the Champions League this season. After their 3-2 victory ended Arsenal’s stunning run of 121 games without conceding more than twice, the Red Devils have undoubtedly sent a statement out to their rivals ahead of a key run of fixtures.
Few players from the Fergie days are still playing professionally, with many such as Carrick having begun successful careers in management, coaching, punditry or beyond. In a surprise move, though, it has been announced that one former Old Trafford hero has returned to playing, aged 39, more than a year after announcing his retirement.
Former Man Utd winger Nani comes out of retirement
Sky Sports report that former Man United and Portugal winger Nani has come out of retirement to sign for FC Aktobe in Kazakhstan aged 39.
Nani registered 41 goals and 66 assists in 230 appearances across seven successful seasons at United, where he won four Premier League titles, two League Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup. Since departing permanently in 2015, he has played in six different countries and now joins a tenth club in his post-Old Trafford journey.
The 112-cap Portugal international last played for Estrela da Amadora in his homeland before retiring in December 2024. He has now come out of retirement to sign a one-year deal with Kazak club Aktobe and expressed his excitement to join the club and his desire to aid with the development of football in Kazakhstan. As part of his deal, he will take on an expanded role within the club’s development project, as per talkSPORT.
Nani’s first words after signing for new club
Nani wrote on a post on X: “I’m very happy to have joined FC Aktobe and I am looking forward to contributing to the development of the club and football in Kazakhstan.
“I would like to thank the owner of the club Mr. Nurlan Artykbaev, chairman Mr. Arman Ospanov and Governor Mr. Askhat Shakharov for their hospitality and support. I was very impressed with the club’s vision for the future and will work hard to take us to new heights, at home and abroad!”
"As everyone knows, everything comes to an end," Nani said at the time. "I've taken the time to make a very important decision. Perhaps the most important decision of my professional life, which is the decision to stop playing as a professional player.
"I'm going to, as they say, hang up my boots. But I do so with a sense of duty fulfilled. I believe it was a beautiful career, a career filled with many achievements."
The Red Devils legend has now resumed his playing career after a major U-turn and it will make interesting viewing to see how much longer he decides to continue before hanging up his boots for the final time.
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