Nemanja Vidic on Berbatov: What a player he was…

Nemanja Vidic, the esteemed former Manchester United defender, reminisced about his time at the club alongside Dimitar Berbatov. The duo were part of one of Sir Alex Ferguson's star-studded squads.

“Dimitar Berbatov and I played together for four years,” Vidic shared in an interview with Sportal.bg. “We had a fantastic period at Manchester United. We played some great matches, especially that one against Liverpool.”

“We are neighbors – Bulgaria and Serbia – and we have a lot in common,” the Serb continued. “We listen to similar music, our food is alike. Berbatov and I are friends; I know his mentality well and I'm aware of how he's developed over the years. We've discussed what he wants to achieve in Bulgaria and what he aimed to do here. He wants Bulgaria to be a better country and to help it. What a player he was… His goals contributed to United's trophies. Berbatov played a crucial role in the Manchester United team. Anyone who understands the game knows his qualities and capabilities. He loved to provide assists. We had other undisputed talents in attack as well. He evolved over the years. I used to tell him: 'Berba, you need to score goals, you're a striker after all. The fans want you to score goals.' He always said he wanted to help the team. He's a footballer who shows his character off the pitch. He wanted to help United with his assists and overall play.”

“It's not my first time in Bulgaria. I always feel good when I'm here. I've met many people who are fans of Manchester United and the Premier League. I can feel the energy.”

Vidic also recalled the Champions League final in the spring of 2011. Berbatov was surprisingly left out of United's squad, and the team subsequently lost 3-1 to Barcelona.

“I don't know the reason for Ferguson's decision, but I'm sad that Berbatov didn't play against Barcelona. Berba and I talked about that situation. I myself was surprised that he wouldn't be in the squad for the final. Perhaps Ferguson's decision was based on our opponent's style of play. It's normal to want to play in a final and to feel disappointed when you're not involved. He didn't react aggressively, but he was very disappointed. He took it internally, and it was tough for him.”

“Rio Ferdinand, Evra, Berbatov, and I are all very different, but we were together and constantly joking around. Sometimes we'd joke about each other's fashion sense or musical tastes. We always found something to tease each other about. We recently met in Seoul. We were together in the dressing room, and it felt like time had stood still. Everything was the same, and it was time for jokes once again.”