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Not every song sung by Manchester United fans is factually correct. Roy Keane didn’t wear a magic hat, Bertie Mee wasn’t a cockney and United don’t often score six and seldom score ten.

Nor is Anderson better than Fabregas. The song, a tribute to United’s Brazilian midfielder, held its own in his first two seasons at Old Trafford when, still in his teens, Anderson looked like the most promising player at the club.

Anderson would burst forward with a surge of energy not present in the other midfielders, he’d go past players and run at defenders. When he danced around the Moscow turf to Gal Costa’s wondrous Aquarela Do Brasil, it seemed a perfect marriage. Residents of Porto Alegre, his home city and Porto, where he also impressed, had told us so. Anderson had it all and he justified the hype of scout Martin Ferguson’s phone call to his brother which sang his praises.

Still only 25, Anderson is starting his seventh season at Old Trafford, yet for the majority of those he’s been frustrating to watch.

The father of three has been injury-hit and, as a result, his fitness and weight levels have suffered.

He’s popular in the dressing room and many fans want him to succeed, but their patience has worn thin. They accuse him of being too heavy and mock his inability to last 90 minutes.

Anderson understands where they’re coming from.

“It’s not just the fans who’ve been frustrated, I’ve been frustrated,” he says in decent English. “I never asked to be injured, I don’t want to be injured. I want to play every week for Manchester United, I love being here.”

Anderson hopes to build on a good pre-season.

“My first years here were good, then I got bad injuries,” he explains.

“Last season I was doing good for six games, then I started to feel my knee. I felt the pain but I kept playing because I wanted to help my team, but then I had to stop playing. I felt like I was making a step forward and two back. Just when I think everything is fine I get an injury.”

Anderson is enjoying life under David Moyes.

“Ferguson helped me a lot,” he says. “He’s a great person, but a new manager means new mentality and I’m happy with that. Training is hard under David Moyes but that’s good for me. I need to train hard. I need to run and I’m feeling good, with power in my legs. I need to get fit and lose weight. I need to lose two more kilos to be at my best weight.”

And if Fabregas or another midfielder signs?

“Good,” says Anderson, who has three years left on his contract. “More better players means a better squad. Manchester had a big squad, it’s one of the biggest in the world. We know that great players will arrive all the time and I want to be one of those great players.

“I just don’t want to have injuries. I want to train every day and play every game. I want to do my best for the team, want to play 90 minutes and not have to come off. To do that I need to be 100% fit.”

Anderson has had 'several offers' to return to Gremio in his home city.

They have a new 60,000 capacity stadium, they have money too, but he’s happy where he is.

“I miss my children who are in Porto Alegre, but I’m happy being here with my three dogs Wes – from Wes Brown – Dani and Catarina. The fans are nice to me, I have friends here.

“I’m serious about doing well,” he concludes. “Maybe I joked too much in the past, tried to be the Brazilian player who was always joking, but I was young too. Now I am more serious, I’ve started to eat properly, to sleep properly. I have to look after myself if I’m going to be at my best for Manchester.”

His team mates agree.

“I don’t think his talent has ever been in doubt, but he’s had a few injuries over the years,” says Rio Ferdinand. “If he gets a clean bill of health, who knows what he can do?

“He’s different from any other player we’ve got. In today’s game, if you have a player who can go past people in the middle of the park then it’s a big commodity. Anderson can do that, but we’ve never been able to get that out of him on a consistent basis because of injuries. He’s got the potential to do it. If he can stay fit this season then it will be almost like having a new signing.”

Reds have heard it all before. Can Anderson finally come consistently good?