Nani rather starve if he can play FOOTBALL!

Nani admits he gave up food to pursue his dream of becoming a Manchester United superstar.

As a barefoot youngster growing up on the mean streets of Lisbon, United's Portuguese winger used to skip meals and go hungry just so he could spend more time playing the beautiful game.

"I didn't go home to eat because I wanted to play football," he confesses.

"Every day, morning and afternoon I was there in the 'bairro'. I didn't eat. I was so skinny.

"The most important thing for me was football.

"Sometimes I was hungry but some friends would come with food and I'd take a little.

"I played on grass, on the street, everywhere. I played without trainers - that's why I have one toe broken.

"And when we picked the teams I put the the best players against me and the weaker ones with me so I could play alone.

"I told them: 'You defend, I attack,' and I passed the ball to no-one."

Born in Praia, the capital of the tiny Atlantic island Cape Verde, west of Senegal, Nani emigrated with his family to Portugal at a very young age.

He was raised by his aunt Antonia in the rough Amadora district of Lisbon where he honed his precocious football talent.

Nani has come a long way since his poverty-stricken beginnings in Praia, but even now he still practises his skills on the giant lawn of his luxurious Cheshire mansion and insists that there are balls laying all over his home so he can play football at all times.

But in an interview in the latest edition of the official UEFA Champions League magazine, Nani, 23, claims he always knew he would play for United.

He and young pal Paulo Bento visited Old Trafford and the club museum while on a pre-season tour to England with Sporting Lisbon.

"There's a machine in the museum where you kick the ball to see who has the most power in their shot," he recalls.

"I was very skinny but I won that. No-one believed it.

"We went to the changing room and sat there so excited. 'Giggsy sits here, Ronaldo here,' unbelievable. "I said: 'My friend, one day we will play here.' Three years later I'm here."

Last season Nani emerged from the shadows of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo following his Portuguese team-mate's £80million move to Real Madrid.

This season there will be even more pressure on Nani's young shoulders as United try to regain the title from Chelsea but he insists: "I feel more confident.

"I know I'm doing well, I'm helping my team win games and important points.

"Now I now I am very important for the team.

"Everyone is excited for me because, in the past, they didn't know if I could be the player everyone expected.

"Now everyone starts to believe I can be a very good player."