Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (born 17 November 1986 in Praia, Cape Verde), better known as Nani, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger.

Full name Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha Date of birth November 17, 1986 (1986-11-17) (age 20) Place of birth    Praia, Cape Verde Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) Playing position Winger

Early career

Nani was born in Cape Verde, but migrated with his family to Portugal at an early age. He grew up in the Amadora district of Lisbon and started his career in junior football at Massamá, a suburb of Lisbon. Fellow midfielder Manuel Fernandes, has been a friend of Nani's since childhood and the pair used to kick a ball about together on the streets of Lisbon.

Sporting

Nani made his debut for the Sporting first team in the 2005-06 season, in which he made 32 appearances and scored five goals. In the 2006-07 season, he was again a regular, making 29 appearances for the first team and scoring five goals. He also played three games in the Portuguese Cup, which Sporting won, as well as six Champions League matches, scoring one goal.

Manchester United

In May 2007, Sporting and Manchester United agreed on an undisclosed fee for Nani to sign for the Manchester club. The fee is believed to be in the region of £14m, the alleged value of the release clause in Nani's contract. Tottenham Hotspur were also reported to have made a bid for the player.Manchester United have also agreed personal terms with Nani, who will complete his move to the club on completion of the appropriate administrative procedures. Nani passed his medical at United's Carrington training ground on 6 June 2007, before being confirmed as a Manchester United player on 2 July. It was announced that Nani had signed a five-year contract with the club.