Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic admits he couldn't do anything right when he first arrived at Old Trafford.
"I got really angry, shouting at myself and calling myself names for making such stupid and basic mistakes. All the anger and frustration came out, and I was aware of Sir Alex watching. What he thought after paying all that money for me, I couldn't imagine.
"I knew all about his reputation for sometimes losing his temper, and I couldn't have blamed him for having a go at me. But, instead, he walked over and went out of his way to calm me down. It seems funny now, when you think what he can be like, but he was telling me not to get angry.
"I realised then that he is a master at psychology. He knows what makes every one of his players tick, whether it's in training, out on the pitch or even at home. He knows how we breathe. I think he realised that bawling me out might have made it worse. He just said: 'Come on, calm down. Players always need time to settle into a new environment, and you're no different. It's normal, so stop worrying. I bought you because I knew you were right for this club. Your time will come'.
"Hearing all that from him made an incredible difference. It put me completely at ease. Once I had stopped being anxious, I began to adapt to the English game.
"Wearing the armband, even for 45 minutes, made me so proud, and I would like to think the contract is a measure of how I have taken to a different culture and style of play.
"My English is coming along - better, better, even, than Cristiano's - and this is where I want to be for a long time to come."
