They say time flies, but it’s only partially true – it depends on the point of view. However, sometimes, it seems to fly faster than the NASA X-43A, officially the fastest plane ever. When? Well, particularly when football heroes retire, slowly but surely, one by one, although the days when they were spilling their magic over football fields all around the globe seem so recent. The latest to hang up his boots – Luis Carlos Almeida da Cunha, better known as Nani.Former Manchester United player Nani has retired from footballWhat a player ❤️pic.twitter.com/xTehqwoqvg— UtdPlug (@UtdPlug) December 8, 2024 The Portuguese announced his retirement at the age of 38 after spending his last spell in his homeland with Estrela Amadora. Apart from Portuguese, Nani’s worn jerseys of Turkish, Spanish, Italian, US, Australian, and Turkish sides, but football fans mainly remember him as an integral part of one of the greatest generations of Man United and English football in general, led by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.What happens when you miss the penalty and have to drive Alex Ferguson home?After two seasons with Sporting Lisbon, Nani joined the Red Devils back in 2007 and spent eight years at Old Trafford, making 230 appearances and noting 41 goals and 70 assists. With United, he won 12 trophies, including four Premier Leagues and the 2008 UEFA Champions League.Luís Nani has announced his retirement from football. Thanks for the memories, @luisnani ❤️ pic.twitter.com/OMCSHWQhiN— United Zone (@ManUnitedZone_) December 8, 2024 Nani was part of the generation that brought Portugal their only major trophy in history – the 2016 European Championship. Moreover, he was Cristiano Ronaldo’s right hand on the pitch and ended the tournament as the second-joint top scorer with three goals, alongside five more players. He made 112 appearances for the national team and scored 23 goals.Nani no #EURO2016 foi ✨ 𝐸𝑆𝑃𝐸𝐶𝐼𝐴𝐿 🏆 #PartilhaAPaixão pic.twitter.com/DzcyqnAICQ— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) November 17, 2024 Finally, Nani will be remembered as an outstanding dribbler and uncompromising fighter who always gave everything he had for the team. And even though he spent his ultimate playing seasons far from the spotlight, only the mention of Nani’s name would, without exception, put a smile on every football fan’s face.##NAJAVA_MECA_8555139##
