Nani has revealed that he found expected similarities between he and Cristiano Ronaldo hard to take.

The Valencia winger arrived at Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2007 with the hype that he had to become the new Ronaldo.

While the 29-year-old is an accomplished player in his own right, he admits that attempting to emulate the Real Madrid superstar at Old Trafford was something he should never have been tasked with.

"They were expecting me to be the next Ronaldo but that's unfair," he told The Guardian.

"We are different players, different personalities. Maybe it was a mistake to compare us."

Nani, who has had stints with Sporting and Fenerbahce since it became apparent he was no longer wanted by United, recalled how Ronaldo - two years his senior - provided plenty of support during his early days in Manchester.

"We just had great moments," he added.

"I needed somebody to help me to deal with things in Manchester and he was very important to me."