Manchester United winger Nani has claimed he never thought about quitting Old Trafford even in the depths of his miserable form, and revealed he is aiming to become "one of the best in the world".

GettyImagesNani: Enjoying a rich vein of form

While most United fans would have been glad to see the back of Nani during last month's transfer window, the 23-year-old has proved his worth with some scintillating displays of late, including a man-of-the-match performance in the 3-1 demolition of Arsenal.

Nani is now in line to face Aston Villa on Wednesday, which would be his fifth start on the trot and welcome redemption for the Portugal international, who has won over the United faithful.

Nani came under particular pressure in November, after some outspoken comments about Sir Alex Ferguson summer, but the winger insisted that even when the criticism was at its fiercest, he did not consider throwing in the towel.

"I never wanted to go,'' he told the Manchester Evening News. "When you are feeling low and things aren't going well, you do feel alone and there have been times like that. But I never thought about quitting and going back to Portugal.

"I was in a bad position sometimes and it wasn't easy to get back up again. Of course, your confidence does suffer on occasions and you get down. But I have shown I don't get depressed too easily.

"I am a strong personality. If you are not a strong character then it will drag you down. I am not like that. I am sure I have the quality to be one of the best in the world. I can achieve that.''