Ashley eyes first prize

Scholesy, Rio, Carrick and Evra has been vitally important, especially for the younger ones. Then there’s the manager – he knows exactly what to do, when to do it and what teams to pick for different games.

You’ve chipped in with some excellent, crucial goals – have you got a favourite?
[Smiles] I’m not sure which one stands out. It’s always nice to score and I’m happy with my tally, but I get greater satisfaction from laying on an assist. The one for Giggsy at Norwich is my favourite. For him to score so late on his 900th appearance was fantastic. You only needed to see how everyone celebrated to see what it meant.

How would you rate the quality of wingers we have at the club? It’s certainly an area of the squad that seems very strong…
Definitely. To have that competition for places is great for the team although it creates a bit of a  headache for the manager! When you’ve got Giggsy, Antonio, Nani  and Ji around, you know you need  to be on your toes, training well  and, when you get your chance, delivering for the team.

Valencia has really caught the eye. Is he the league's best winger at present?
Definitely. I don’t think there’s  been a better winger this season.  He’s like a steam train when he’s running at defenders. He’s so strong and his delivery is brilliant. His goal at Blackburn typified the kind of form he’s been in week-in, week-out since he came back.

What would it mean to you to win the title in your first season?
It would mean everything. There  have been ups and downs during  the season, but we’ve got ourselves into a great position and we’ve got to make sure we finish the job now.