Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed he's brought Anderson to the club to succeed Paul Scholes.

"The idea was that Anderson would replace Scholes and Nani would replace Giggs in the long term," said Ferguson. "It is always a worry when you buy young players for a lot of money whether it is the right decision, but we can tell our judgment has been good with these two.

"We told Anderson that he wouldn't play every week but would be introduced gradually. But looking at his form, if Wednesday's game against Dynamo Kiev had been crucial he wouldn't have been out of the team.

"Scholes is not ready for the shelf - he can play until he's 36. But Anderson absolutely has the qualities to replace him."