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The ManUtd.com Interview • May 2002 Has the Champions League disappointment spoiled what's been a fantastic first season at Old Trafford? I think 'spoiled' is the wrong word. We gave everything to get to the final and it just didn't work out. It's just disappointing. We worked so hard to achieve it but it didn’t happen. You can't says it's spoilt the season for me though. So you're still proud of being top scorer in the Champions League? It's not about me being top scorer, it's about the team getting to the final. It didn't work out, that's all. If we win we're in it together, if we lose we're in it together. Did you ever in your wildest dreams expect to score so many goals? I couldn't have ever expected it. I came back from injury, and I just wanted to reach my best level as quickly as possible. I never thought it could be like this though. Which is your favourite so far? I would have to say my first goal for United, in the Charity Shield. That was very special. Setting a new Premiership record for scoring in eight consecutive matches must have been pretty special too? It was great, but the best thing about that was that we won eight times in a row. It was great to be involved in that. To score in every game and to win every game was very special to me. If you score but still lose or don't do well it's different. It’s nice for yourself, but it's better if you win. You've also got a nice line in goal celebrations – do you think about them beforehand or do they just happen? "They just happen! I'm happy and emotion comes out. You can tell in your face that you really like scoring. I do! It's great to score. I like to score at important moments, and thankfully this season it worked out that way. A lot of people are saying you are the best striker in Europe – presumably you're flattered by that? There are a lot of great strikers in Europe. I don't think you can say anyone is the best. It's nice that people say that, but I just want to perform in every game and do well for United. That's what it's all about. Did you ever feel under pressure because of the £19 million price tag? No, it gave me a good feeling actually. It filled me with confidence that a club like United wanted to pay so much money for a player. They obviously had a lot of confidence in me, so that made me feel good. The fans have helped me a lot too, to settle and feel good right from the start. A lot of people are saying you are the best striker in Europe – presumably you're flattered by that? There are a lot of great strikers in Europe. I don't think you can say anyone is the best. It's nice that people say that, but I just want to perform in every game and do well for United. That's what it's all about. Did you ever feel under pressure because of the £19 million price tag? No, it gave me a good feeling actually. It filled me with confidence that a club like United wanted to pay so much money for a player. They obviously had a lot of confidence in me, so that made me feel good. The fans have helped me a lot too, to settle and feel good right from the start. Is it true that you thought that when everyone was chanting your name after you scored you thought they were booing? No, I never thought that. I have heard that some people thought that, because in Ryan Giggs' testimonial against Celtic the crowd did that for the first time. Then, when I scored the second time I was really aggressive in my celebration, and they thought I was doing that because I thought I was being booed. I knew right away that they weren't booing me though! Thank goodness for that! You were booed for real at Ipswich, though. Were you surprised at their reaction? I could understand their position. They were in a bad position, and could be relegated and from that perspective I could understand it as they love their club and they think because of van Nistelrooy everything is bad. You didn't see me claiming any penalty, though. The referee gave a penalty, I can't do anything about that. So was it a penalty? When I see it back, I don't think it was. You can see it from all kinds of angles, and from a couple of them it looks like nothing has happened in between the two of them. It all happens so quickly. It wasn't the case that there was no-one around me and I just dived. You've player upfront alongside Ryan Giggs recently – how has that differed to partnering Ole? They're different types of player, but both are very good in their positions. It's great for me to play with both of them. You play differently with each of them, but it's worked out fine with both of them. So you alter your game, depending on who you're playing with? Not deliberately, it just comes naturally that you adjust to each other. It's good that both partnerships work fine.

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