Article in The Observer:
The 25-year-old has not only made himself look good, he has also made Rio Ferdinand look better because of his ability to tidy up those lapses of concentration that have been known to afflict the Englishman. The most pertinent defensive question for United might no longer be who partners Ferdinand as who partners Vidic.
'We've done well there,' said Ferguson. 'He has that mentality of the proper, really authentic defender. Watch Vidic in training, and he'll batter Louis Saha and then pick him up, as if to say, "This is my job, this is what I do." I'll be yelling from the touchline, "Watch the tackling, watch the tackling," and Vidic will shout, "Sorry boss, sorry boss." But he's not sorry at all, he just loves defending.'
Vidic was born into a working class family in Uzice, a town with a population smaller than the capacity of Old Trafford, in the west of Serbia. His father, Dragoljub, worked in the copper factory and his mother, Zora, was a bank clerk. Their sons enjoyed football and Nemanja's potential was noticed by Red Star Belgrade at the age of 14.
Four years later he was sent on a season-long loan to Spartak Subotica and accepted the move on the basis that Red Star bought him a pair of boots to use now that he would be playing professional matches. He returned to become a hero of Red Star. He was their cornerstone and captained them to the double in 2004. It was a particularly poignant moment because Vidic played not only for himself, but for his best friend in football, Vladimir Dimitrijevic, who died on the pitch of a heart attack at the age of 20.
'We were inseparable,' said Vidic. 'We dreamt the same dreams, wanted to touch the sky with Red Star, but unfortunately Vlada is not with us any more. When I play, I think about my friend and I will do everything I can to save his memory.'
Vidic became even more serious about his football, so when he moved to Spartak Moscow he eschewed the traditional pastimes enjoyed by foreign footballers in the Russian capital. He appears to enjoy nightclubbing as much as couture shopping.
His ability to knuckle down helped him during his early months in Manchester. 'The start was hard for me,' he said. 'I arrived having not trained for 40 days because in Russia the season was finished. Also, injuries caused problems for me - these were difficult days and months. But I learnt so much.'
He feels indebted to Ferguson for looking out for him during that test. 'Every day for each of us he sets aside a minute or two, to talk and ask if everything is OK, how it is at home, if we need any help. His advice helped me very much.
'He was patient to wait for me to improve while I was a bit unstable in the first team. He was saying to me, "Don't be upset, take it easy, everything will be OK." He was like a father to me and I want to repay him.'
He had to get over a disastrous World Cup first. A training ground collision with former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman ended his tournament before it began. 'At the moment of injury, when I fell on the grass and screamed, lots of things came through my mind,' said Vidic. 'Sincerely, I had a feeling that my leg had been cut off. Nevertheless, I am sure I will have more chances to be part of a World Cup. This is the thing that gave me strength and made me not despair.'
"It was very hard for me," he says. "When I arrived in Manchester I had not trained for 40 days because the Russian season was finished. The players were asking me every day if there was anything I needed, but it was difficult for me to communicate.
"I was living in a hotel and trying to acclimatise to a different style of football and culture. Everything was thrown at me at once. And on top of that I was very aware that the fans were asking, 'Who is this player?' I was unknown and people wanted to see what they were getting for £7m. I was very aware I was under the spotlight. I had a few injuries and the first few months were very difficult.
"I am living in a house now and my English is improving, so I don't feel as detached from everything," says Vidic. "I can join in with the other players. It is all helping me on the field. I am starting to play better and better but this is just the beginning of what I am capable of. I know I can still get a lot better and prove why I was brought here. I want to show I'm a very valuable player and I still think it will be until next season before you will see the very best of me."
He expects a "battle" with Drogba but one that he will relish. "The Russian league is a tough competition, as is the Serbian league, but the Premiership is physically even harder," he says. "It's like a boxing match. I just have to make sure that I am not the one on the floor.
"I am not saying it doesn't suit me. The physical side is something I can handle. But the use of the arms or hands on an opponent is just not allowed in Russia. I have found myself expecting a foul sometimes, waiting for the whistle, but it doesn't come. I just have to adapt very quickly to the way the game is played and refereed over here."