A remarkable 4-2 win at Arsenal FC on Tuesday night has reignited Manchester United FC's hopes of battling Chelsea FC all the way for the Premiership title, and once more, Argentinian international left-back Gabriel Heinze proved to be a massive presence for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
Wide experience
Signed from Paris Saint-Germain FC at the start of the season, the 26-year-old Patagonian-born defender has proved to be a huge hit at Old Trafford, making use of all the experience he picked up in previous spells at CA Newell's Old Boys, Real Valladolid and Sporting Clube de Portugal. He discussed his multi-national football education with uefa.com.
Are you surprised at how quickly you have settled and won over the fans?
Gabriel Heinze: Right from the first moment that I arrived in Manchester everyone has gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable. I received all the support I needed to be able to do my job properly, and that has enabled me to go about things feeling completely relaxed. Their treatment of me means it is only right that I give them the best I possibly can.
You won Olympic footballing gold with Argentina this summer. How did that feel?
Heinze: Winning the Olympic title was fantastic because Argentina had never won a football gold. It was wonderful experience being part of things in Athens, and winning went a long way to making up for the disappointment of losing to Brazil in the Copa América final [last summer].
You certainly adapted to the pace of English football. Are you surprised by that?
Heinze: I am not surprised by the physical side of things. What has surprised me though is just how fast all the games are. As soon as you have cleared the ball from your area it seems to be back again. I'm sure English football must be the fastest in the world. Everyone attacks and that makes things interesting because you end up with games that are full of energy and emotion - and I think that is what fans want to see.
Your father is German and your mother is Italian, so you could have played for either of those countries. Was there ever any doubt that you would choose Argentina?
Heinze: No, never. Ever since I started to play football I had two dreams: to play in the top flight for my club and to represent the Argentinian national team.
You have been in Europe since 1997 when you joined Valladolid from Newell's Old Boys. Do you feel a little bit European now?
Heinze: I feel 100 per cent Argentinian every moment of the day. I love the European way of life, but my roots remain in Argentina.
It took you quite a long time to come to the attention of the senior Argentinian national team. Do you think that was because you moved to Europe so young?
Heinze: There was a point when I was in France when I thought that, because French football doesn't get such a high profile in Argentina, the press did not know much about me. But also, I should add that while I was in France I wasn't playing nearly as regularly for my club as I am in England. So that could be the reason. But I always remained calm about the situation since I knew that [national team coach] Marcelo Bielsa knew me very well from my days at Newell's Old Boys, so I was always confident that he would remember me.