Rich Kid: Angel Di Maria On Being The EPL’s Most Expensive Player

He landed on the most expensive football transfer fee in the history of EPL. We find out how it feels...

You are the most expensive player in EPL History (98 million dollars) how does that feel?

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I don’t think much about the transfer fee – that is only relevant for people in charge of the clubs. I am just pleased to be at one of the biggest clubs in the world at Manchester United – and want to help them win many trophies. I came here to win trophies – and that is what I believe we will do.

There has been a lot of criticism aimed at Manchester United – how can you deal with that as a team?

This club is used to winning trophies every season – but of course there have been many changes in the team. With change there comes time to adjust – but with the coach and players we have at the club, I think things look very bright for the future.

Can you win the league this season?

I want to believe we can – but the coach has told the players, we can win again within two seasons. He is very confident in the project – and all the players are very confident in him.

There have been accusations that Manchester United have spent millions on world class attacking talents like yourself and Falcao – but have not addressed their defensive problems?

We trust the coach – and I think all the players that came in the transfer window added to all the top quality players that were already here. I am sure that the coach wants to make more additions to the squad – but you cannot expect everything to be sorted in one window.

How different is playing in England than playing in Spain?

They are of course both top quality leagues – but I think it is a more intense pace in England. The opposition doesn’t allow you as much time on the ball as they do in Spain – and it is also more physical.

How important is the Copa America? How important is this tournament for you as a player and for your country to get a great result?

It is very important that we try and win it next summer. We came close to winning The World Cup final – and winning the Copa America would not make up for that – but it would be great for the players and the fans. It’s still a long way away – and the focus at the moment is on having a successful season with Manchester United – and making sure that we get back to playing in The Champions League – where this club belongs.

At what age did you know you wanted to be a professional soccer player?

My parents tell me that I started playing football at 3. It is all I ever wanted. I never thought about doing anything else – this was always the dream for me.

How many languages can you speak?

Well, obviously Spanish – and I speak good Portuguese because of my time at Benfica. My English is not good yet – but I am taking lessons and hope to improve quickly. The coach wants all foreign players to learn English – and I agree that is the way it should be.

What is on your iPod at the moment?

I like a lot of traditional Latin music from Argentina – but I also really like RnB. Before a game I like to listen to artists like Jay-Z and Drake.

Football is getting more popular in India – how important is that?

India is such a big country that I am really encouraged that it is becoming more popular. I hope in the next 5 years we see not just more of the Indian people watching football – but also playing it themselves.

From the October 2014 issue of FHM India.