Heinze strives for further improvement

NO-NONSENSE defender Gabriel Heinze insists Manchester United’s supporters have not seen the best of him yet.

Heinze has quickly earned hero status among the Old Trafford faithful, who have warmed to his wholehearted approach.

The Argentinian defender, who has jetted home for a World Cup double-header with Bolivia and Colombia, insists his style of play is a natural one.

But he has warned the Premiership’s star strikers he will get even better once he has completely adjusted to life in England.

“I am always totally committed,” he said.

“I can’t play any other way. I just give everything when I am on the field.

“But I want to emphasise this is just the beginning. What has happened so far is fantastic but I have much more work to do yet, as hopefully the supporters will see.”

At one stage, it looked as though Heinze’s United career would be short-lived.

After completing a £6.9 million move from Paris St Germain in the summer, the full-back, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Saturday, immediately jetted off to play in the Copa America.

If that was not enough, he then went to play in the Olympics, where he won a gold medal but incurred the wrath of Alex Ferguson, who made veiled threats about Heinze’s future with the club.

Ferguson has been forced to backtrack on those observations however, as Heinze has produced a succession of outstanding performances which would have put him in line for the United player of the year award had it not been for Wayne Rooney’s sensational first season at Old Trafford.

Yet Heinze insists the transition to life in the Premiership has not been as comfortable as many imagine.

“The transition might have looked easy but it wasn’t,” he said.

“The game in England is played at a much higher tempo than it is in France and it is much more physical.

“It takes time to grow accustomed to the speed of the game.

“If I have settled in quickly, the manager and my team-mates are the ones to thank because they have made things a lot easier.”

Though Heinze was part of a United defence that kept an incredible 17th clean sheet of the Premiership campaign against Fulham on Saturday, Chelsea’s victory over Crystal Palace almost certainly ensures that his first season at Old Trafford will not end with a league title.