Nani has claimed he will be inspired by the intense battle for first-team spots at Manchester United this season.
The arrival of Ashley Young from Aston Villa has provided immediate competition for the winger, who with Antonio Valencia sidelined for most of last term, was the only orthodox wide-man at Sir Alex Ferguson's disposal.
"The competition is good. It inspires you. If you have competition, you will train harder and push yourself in every game. At Manchester United, you have to be ready every time you go on the field," said Nani.
The 24-year-old contributed nine goals and 18 assists - the highest in the league - to United's record 19th championship triumph. Yet it still was not enough to earn him a starting spot for the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona in May.
It must have come as a bitter blow to a player who started the campaign so well, but tailed off just as Valencia was recovering from the broken ankle he sustained in September.
In the aftermath of that loss, and with Ferguson looking at how best to strengthen a team that was so badly outplayed at Wembley, there were plenty happy to write off Nani's Red Devils career completely.
But he returned for the current five-match tour of the United States, and appears in the right frame of mind to provide an even greater contribution this time around.
"Of course I can get better," he said. "That is what I am trying to do. It is not easy but it is what I look to achieve every year. If I can get more goals and more assists, that will be good for the team and help us in all the competitions we are going for."
Nani believes improvement will be required too. For, whilst United proved good enough to finish top of the pile last season, with Manchester City trying to get stronger and Liverpool expected to challenge along with Arsenal and last year's runners-up Chelsea, Nani is anticipating an even fiercer battle for supremacy.
"In every season it is important to start well. But it is even more the case now because this season will be much harder than the last couple. All the teams are getting stronger and trying to be much better. We have to match that," he said.
Source: PA
