Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he has been immediately impressed by his new £7 million signing Alan Smith, who completed his controversial move to Manchester United on Wednesday.
Smith has vowed to fight his way into the starting line-up at Old Trafford after crossing the Pennines to join Leeds' bitter rivals. The 23-year-old striker will have to battle with prolific front-men Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha for a place in United's attack, but he is determined to prove himself and make an immediate impression at his new club.
"I am not prepared to spend time on the bench," he told MUTV. "I want to make an impact straight away. If you are going to be successful as a team, you need a good squad but I believe I am good enough to play in the team. Hopefully I will be proved right."
His new manager certainly believes the 23-year-old has what it takes to be a success at Old Trafford. Ferguson had long been an admirer of the young striker, but he admitted: "I have never been more impressed with a young player. His desire to play for Manchester United is fantastic.
"Certain young people come along with a special determination and, after speaking to him, I expect that from Alan Smith. That desire will take him a long way."
Smith has become the tenth player to move directly between the two clubs, but few such transfers have caused so much unrest, on both sides.
While Leeds fans are angered that their home-grown idol has left them to join The Red Devils, some supporters at Old Trafford have questioned the calibre of the centre-forward, who has not got a great scoring record.
Although the move is controversial, Smith hopes that Leeds fans will appreciate his gesture of waiving his signing-on fee to help the club he has left, while he understands their disappointment and anger at his choice of destination.
"Not a lot of people would have been brave enough to make this step," he said. "I know all about the cross-Pennine rivalry and the hostility between the two sets of supporters. But I am prepared for what comes with that and I am looking forward to the challenge of playing for Manchester United.
"I can't wait to get started. I want to prove myself here and win the fans over with my performances on the field."
He added: "Growing up, I wanted to be the best I could be. I want to win everything I can. That is the biggest reason for coming here. Manchester United is a team of winners. They play in every tournament going and I want to become a winner too."
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