A crock of gold - Fit-again Vid’s title tonic

Posted Sunday, May 05, 2013 by The Sun

A crock of gold - Fit-again Vid’s title tonic NEMANJA VIDIC admits his 12-month injury battle will feel worthwhile when he is reunited with the Premier League trophy on Sunday.

And the Serb is determined his fifth titlewinner’s medal will not be the last silverware he wins as Manchester United skipper.

The centre-back was out for nine months after damaging his cruciate knee ligaments in Basel in December 2011 — then spent another 10 weeks on the sidelines in the autumn of 2012.

But all those dark days will be forgotten when he takes centre stage on the podium at Old Trafford after the match with Swansea.

Vidic, 31, said: “I’ve lifted the trophy before and it’s a nice feeling — especially when you look back at last year, a lot of injuries and struggling to come back.
“To be doing it a fifth time is great.

“I’m lucky I came to the club at the right time. I’ve been playing with good players who have good mentality.

“There is a good spirit and that’s why we have won five titles in seven years.

“And hopefully this won’t be the last one. I just want to win as many trophies as I can for the club, enjoy it and have some more good years here.

“I’m really proud to be the captain of this kind of team.”

United crashed out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage and the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

But Vidic insists the season has been a huge success as they achieved their No 1 aim — regaining the league crown from bitter rivals City.

He added: “We should be satisfied. We won the title, which was our priority.

“We wanted to do better in the FA Cup and Champions League but sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

“Maybe we had the luck in the years before.

“Now we can enjoy playing these last games. We have nothing to lose but we want to finish the season well.”

Despite their double-digit lead at the top of the table and their 27 wins so far, many believe this is not one of the great United teams.

Vidic, who joined the club from Spartak Moscow for £7million in January 2006, reckons the time to judge the team will be when many of them have hung up their boots.

He said: “You cannot make people think differently. You just have to show it on the pitch and they can believe what they want.

“When this generation leaves and another comes, then you judge how good a team was.”

Gaffer Alex Ferguson reckons Vidic’s long-term centre-back partner Rio Ferdinand has enjoyed the best season of his 10 years at United — at the ripe old age of 34.

The ex-Leeds defender has yet to sign a new deal with the champs, although both sides expect it to be done.

Fergie said: “Rio has had his best season at the club, I really think that.

“We’ve had problems with the centre-backs. Vida missed half the season, Chris Smalling has missed most of it and Phil Jones and Jonny Evans have missed parts.

“But Rio, although he was left out of certain games, has been there for us.
“Hopefully he’s going to stay — I think he will.”

Fergie hopes to give 38-year-old Paul Scholes a run-out against Swansea in what could prove to be his final appearance at Old Trafford.

The ex-England midfielder has yet to decide his future but Fergie said: “He’s been training well. I’d love to have him for the Swansea game.”