Man Utd legend Nani makes 'early' decision to retire
Former Manchester United winger Nani has decided to retire amid personal tragedy but told BBC Sport he still has optimism for the future.
Nani, 38, moved to his hometown club, Estrela da Amadora, in the summer - a move which represented, in his own words, his 'last dance' - a reference taken from the Michael Jordan docu-series on Netflix.
But his focus quickly switched to caring for his father Domingos Antonio Cunha David, who passed away in November.
"I was already thinking about retiring but my ideas and feelings changed, because of the love and passion I have for this sport," Nani told BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella. "This was an opportunity to play for my people in Portugal and it sounded like a great idea to give them the last dance.
" But a lot of things have happened in my life, including my father passing away a few months ago so it helped me make this decision early. I spent some difficult months visiting him in hospital and trying to make him stay with us but it was not possible.
"I felt after that moment that I was ready to make this big decision in my life because I have a lot of other opportunities as well. I have opened a new academy to help top youngsters develop their talents and inspire them to follow their dreams. That made it much easier to make this decision."
