Edinson Cavani believes his maturity and reading of the game have helped him adapt quickly to life at Manchester United.
The Uruguayan forward has netted five goals in his first 17 appearances for the club, revolutionising the forward line for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
United risked the wrath of supporters when they reneged on their transfer policy to sign the 33-year-old last summer, having spent the majority of the window focused on recruiting the most exciting young players in world football.
Cavani might not fit into the long-term plans at Old Trafford but he is certainly making a short-term impact with his work as a centre-forward.
The former PSG forward is one of many experienced strikers across Europe enjoying a fruitful campaign so far and he puts the success down to lengthy career so far.
“I always think that, in all aspects of life, a person’s maturity is important because it helps you to resolve problems more quickly,” Cavani told United Review.
“As they say, to find a short-cut and make things a little more straightforward.
“And it’s the same in football. I think that, in football, you start to gain in maturity, and begin to grow in experience and confidence. That means that, as the years pass by, you feel better in yourself, and feel in good nick and you start to feel that you can really compete, having been constantly involved.
It’s free and only takes a few seconds.
“So yes, I feel that experience is hugely important. In spite of the fact that there are many talented guys out there, lots of gifted youngsters, I firmly believe, and I’ve always said that in football, it’s not all about having one, two or even three good games. What you really need in football is to compete hard and to be consistent. It takes a lot of self-discipline to enable you to become really consistent. For one, two, three, four years, that’s how you gain in the maturity which will enable you to get to that required level you need to compete.”
Cavani’s immediate success at the club has largely been down to his own style of play, with the Uruguayan deployed as a true No.9 who stays central and acts as a main focal point in attack.
However, the 33-year-old has explained just how much hard work goes into getting in the right areas at the right time.
He added: “On many occasions, there are lots of strikers who score goals from more static positions. The ball comes to them, they can finish well, and they score goals. But you also have the other kind of striker who has the ability to sense things and anticipate where the cross is going to end up, or the ball in behind. Or when that through-ball is going to be played.
“I’ve worked really hard on anticipating the play intuitively. Looking at my team-mate to see where he’s going to play the pass, and watching the defender and how he’s moving so that I, in turn, can make a run or a move that will give me the advantage. And that’s something that you have to work on, and it’s also a question of focus and concentration on what you’re doing, and not just doing it naturally or for the sake of it. ”
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