Dimitar Berbatov Speaks of "Delight" at Joining United

Dimitar Berbatov has revealed his delight at signing for the European champions Manchester United. The deal was done in the last minutes of the transfer window.

At a conference held a few hours ago, live on the Bulgarian national TV, he was all smiles and was visibly relaxed and happy:

“I hope you can see how much I am excited and delighted that everything ended in the best possible way for me," he told reporters.

“I am really happy that, at last, my dream to play at the highest level possible came true in a period when I am still at my best as a footballer and in a period when I will hopefully be able to show what I can do, and make all fans of Manchester United happy with my performances.“

“I am thankful to all the people involved in the success of this transfer. It was difficult for me during the last month, really difficult, but in the end when it all turns out well, you seem to forget about those times."

"I am thankful to all the people from Manchester United and Tottenham who allowed this transfer to go through. I am left with only the best of feelings towards Tottenham and I could never say anything bad about them."

“They were the ones who showed me the path in the English Premier League and they gave me the opportunity to show what I can do. For that I will always be grateful to them, the fans, and the footballers who helped me get to this point of my life. Most of all I would like to thank this man…,” as Berbatov excitedly put a hand on the shoulder of his agent, Emile Dantchev.

“There has been an existing interest from Manchester United since before I joined Tottenham which did not develop into anything more, but this gave me the chance to show what I can do [at Tottenham]. Obviously, after watching my performances the people at Manchester United have decided that I am the man for the job.”

Asked about how he felt 24 hours ago when his transfer was still unclear, Berbatov answered:

“I was happy that a bid came for a club like Manchester United. It was a really mind-blowing bid, which arrived, literally, at the last moment, and put everything on hold for about three or four hours. It was really tense then. A lot of conversations took place but I told my manager and the people closest to me about how I felt. They knew that my only desire was to put the red shirt on.“

“The money has never really played a significant role in my life and I am happy that things turned out like this, so I can go to a club which I really wished to go to.”

The reported weekly wage of Berbatov's new contract is believed to be in the region of £150 000. That would make him the best paid player in the Premier League. The Bulgarian seemed unconcerned:

“I am such a man that I have other priorities in life. I maintain a constant standard of life. I’m in a period of my life when I can allow myself to buy a lot of things but I also know what I have gone through to achieve that. Emile Dantchev has also told me a similar thing [about the wage] but it was like I was not really hearing him because my only goal was to be a footballer of Manchester United and I’m really happy that it came true.”

Dimitar Berbatov is set to make a debut for Manchester United against Liverpool, on Saturday, September the 13th.