Cavani feeling settled as he targets cup glory

The experienced Uruguayan scored his seventh goal for the Reds with a clever header from Marcus Rashford's cross in the 3-3 draw with Everton at the weekend, netting in consecutive games for the first time since joining the club last summer.

Although the lockdowns may be making life difficult for everybody, he admits he has got used to his new environment and understands what it means to go all the way in cup competitions after posting a prodigious record in them with his former clubs.

"I always think that settling in and adapting to a different place, a new culture, different customs, is always difficult," Cavani told United Review recently. "Change is always difficult, as is settling in somewhere new. Even though you try to throw yourself totally into it and to settle in quickly, right now there’s a lot of stuff going on around us that is making that process a little bit tougher than usual. But of course, you have your family life at home away from the game, it’s never just football alone.

“Whatever free moments that you might get, you try and enjoy them with your family and keep yourself amused by trying to get out in the open spaces and get a bit closer to nature, which is something we really love to do. We go for a few little walks, where we are allowed, and we always do that as a family."

The visit of the Hammers presents an opportunity for the Reds to take a step closer to Wembley in the FA Cup, after already knocking out Watford and Liverpool.

Cavani won the Coppa Italia with Napoli and an incredible 11 cups during his time at PSG, 15 if you include the Trophee des Champions (the French equivalent of the Community Shield) so he appreciates the value of securing silverware.

"I haven’t had chance to read or study about this trophy [the FA Cup] with any great depth, but I believe that every cup or piece of silverware is always very important," he told us. "I’ve always felt that way and that has always been my philosophy in life.

"For me, football is all about never-ending, continuous competition. Every game, whatever the stature of the trophy at stake, has a different impact amongst the fans and the public in general. But in my eyes, football is one hundred per cent about competing, in every kind of match.

“I’m thinking it must be a bit like the Cup in France, a competition that has many years of history behind it, and which features teams from the Second and Third Divisions, and teams knock each other out as they progress through the various rounds. And it’s a very prestigious trophy to lift because you can get drawn away from home against really tough opponents at awkward venues.

“I can easily imagine just how important a trophy it is. But over and above any of that, as I told you before, for me, football is all about competition, pure and simple, and you always have that desire to win, whatever cup you’re playing for, it’s always important. And as I always say, winning isn’t easy, and so when you win, you have to enjoy it, and you also have to try to get into the habit of winning.”