Heinze means business

By Adrian Harte

Argentina has supplied some of the finest players in football history and, since Alfredo Di Stéfano in the 1950s, players from the Pampas have made their mark on the European Champion Clubs' Cup.

England struggle
Indeed, no less than 25 Argentinian players have featured in this season's UEFA Champions League. Typically, the vast majority ply their trade with clubs in Italy and Spain and, as the recent cases of Juan Sebastián Verón and Hernán Crespo illustrated, Argentinian players have in recent years struggled to make an impact in England.

Delayed debut
But Manchester United FC defender Gabriel Heinze has bucked that trend and settled seamlessly into life at Old Trafford despite a potentially problematic start to his career in England. The left-sided defender's Copa América and Olympic engagements meant that his United debut was delayed until September, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson warning that Heinze was putting his whole career with the Red Devils at risk.

Defensive warrior
However, Sir Alex relented in the face of some excellent displays from Heinze who has already made 32 appearances for United this season. In fact, the Scot recently praised the Patagonian as a "fantastic warrior" while Heinze's tally of ten yellow cards already this season has underlined his reputation as a defensive hard man.

Feat conquered
Heinze has certainly won the battle to win over English fans - United fans at any rate. He told UEFA Champions League Weekly: "The truth is that I was a bit afraid about coming to England because there is a big rivalry on and off the pitch with Argentina. To come to a big club like Manchester, it wasn't fear, just an apprehensive feeling of facing the unknown. But to be honest my first four months here have been great."

Rain pain
Heinze, who has only played eight games in the top flight in his native country, has already played in Spain, Portugal and France, but still took time to adapt to one aspect of Manchester life. He said: "When I used to complain that it always rains here, Ruud van Nistelrooij told me that if it was sunny here in Manchester, this would be a paradise, the best place in the world. You cannot have everything in life, he told me, and he was right, you can't."

Champions test
Considering his experience in European leagues, it comes as something of a surprise that this is Heinze's debut season in the Europe's premier club competition. "This is my first Champions League," he said. "It is one of the greatest and most wonderful competitions in world football."

High expectation
The expectation faced by his new club is another test Heinze is happy facing. He added: "Manchester United is involved every year and their objective each time is to win it. We are a big club and we can't be happy with just going as far as we can. A big club like United faces this type of challenge every year. I relish that challenge too, because this is one of the greatest competitions and it would be great for someone like me, coming from a different country, if I could win this competition with United."

Milan hope
More immediately the focus is on AC Milan and Heinze says United have a chance despite their 1-0 home defeat in the first leg. "It's the same as it was from the first match, we've got to score a goal and I'm very confident," he told MUTV. "It's difficult to predict with two great teams, but any of the two can win it. We have every opportunity."