“I’ve learned that Phil Collins song. It’s nice to listen to it before games”

It’s just another day in paradise for Lucas Moura at PSG. The 23-year-old talks Zlatan, David Luiz and Manchester United, and why he thinks he can still be one of the world’s best players

PSG have charged into a huge lead at the top of Ligue 1 this season: you were 24 points clear after only 23 games, going into February. What’s it like to be so far ahead? Let’s say it’s... different. I’ve never experienced it before. I don’t even remember another team that had such a huge gap at the top. It’s a bit weird. But it’s a consequence of our hard work. Our squad was meant to win the league – we can’t even think of not being Ligue 1 champions.

Should PSG be competing to win the Champions League soon? I think it’s a matter of time before PSG win the Champions League. We’re on the right path. Every year we are more respected and getting more experience. We are among the best teams in the world now and can become the best soon, but it’s not easy to beat the traditional big clubs.

By that do you mean Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich? That’s right. We are humble enough to admit that they are at another level. They are better than the others, not just because of their squad, but their tradition plays its part: they’ve won the trophy so many times, their success is almost natural. But we are not far behind.

Do you ever get a chance to meet PSG’S Qatari owners? I’ve met them a few times, but they don’t come to our matches or training sessions that often. We see the president, Nasser Al-khelaifi – he’s one of the owners as well. He’s always around and he’s very nice.

Was it hard not playing regularly for a period when Angel Di Maria arrived at the club last summer? It’s always difficult when you have to fight for a place, but I’m still young and I have many things to learn, so it’s great to have top footballers beside me. I’m getting more opportunities now and I’m happy with the football I’ve been playing.

How close were you to joining Manchester United? Would you be interested in playing in the Premier League? Before joining PSG I was quite close to signing for Manchester United, but it was my choice to go to Paris because of their project. Playing in the Premier League is a dream for every footballer, and it would be nice if I could have that privilege in the future. But my focus now is on PSG and achieving my goals here.

What’s it like to play with Zlatan Ibrahimovic (above)? During matches he might look nervous – the type of guy who likes to fight – but off the pitch he is very different. He’s good friends with everyone. Ibra likes to make jokes, but he’s very respectful as well. Playing beside him is an enormous privilege. I never tire of admiring his skills. For a guy as tall as he is, his technique is really impressive. He’s a taekwondo black belt and he sometimes does these weird movements with the ball – they are quite natural for him but for everyone else they’re impossible to repeat!

Is someone like Zlatan irreplaceable? It woul would be really hard to find another guy with his skills. We are adapted to his football and we know by heart how he plays. Ibrahimovic has written a beautiful story here so far, and even if the club brought in another world world-class player, they would need to start from scratch and build their own history.

Were you ever worried about staying in Paris after the awful attacks in November? It’s so sad what happened. As you can imagine, there were tense weeks here in Paris, and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving my home. But now things are much better. People aren’t afraid to go out onto the streets any more.

There’s been a debate among PSG fans recently about whether the club should still play Who Said I Would by Phil Collins when the team runs out before kickoff. Are you a fan of Phil Collins? I’m completely lost when it comes to international music! But I’ve learned this song here in Paris. It’s nice to listen to it before the games.

Is David Luiz a better player than his World Cup critics will allow? It’s impossible to avoid critics when you don’t reach the only goal acceptable, and Brazilians wouldn’t have accepted anything other than winning the World Cup at home. But the statistics prove how good he is. He was a champion at Benfica, he helped Chelsea to win their first and only Champions League trophy, and he’s a key player for us and for Brazil. It can’t be a coincidence. He gives his life in every single match.

How tough was it to be left out of Brazil’s World Cup squad yourself? That was sad, but I learned from my dad that we can’t control everything. Brazil have plenty of quality players, but I’m confident I have the potential to become a regular. I work hard every day to do it – even harder after that disappointment. I dream of being involved in the next World Cup. I’ve improved but I want to improve more and more. I see potential to get better. I want to become one of the best footballers in the world.