As the United and City flags hanging limply outside the unappealing Peak Tavern illustrate, most people in this market town of 51,000 do not support their local club. Macclesfield Town's average gates of 2,000 put them 91st in the attendance chart of the 92 league clubs (only Accrington attract fewer). And yet, as Macc lad Ian Curtis and his band Joy Division discovered, being close to the energy and industry of Manchester has its benefits.

Macclesfield Town's hand-to-mouth existence contrasts with the wealth displayed by some residents in the leafy borough which Wayne Rooney, Mark Hughes, Sir Alex Ferguson and many other big-name Premier League stars call home. Three months after arriving from Real Madrid, Robinho has just moved nearby. Requesting a house with a swimming pool was always going to limit his options among the surfeit of newly-built apartments in Manchester city centre, so he headed south to live among Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Owen Hargreaves, Robbie Savage and Slade's Noddy Holder.

With so many luminaries from their roster nearby, Macclesfield's home made the ideal location for Nike when they sought a football stadium to film a star-studded, big-budget advert for Asia. Not much consolation to Macclesfield for the siren song of the Manchester clubs, but a little reflected glory and welcome revenue.

It's a cold December afternoon and the light fades on the frost-whitened hills of the Peak District which overlook Macclesfield. FourFourTwo has come to meet Robinho, whom, we are told, will be here "shortly".

Moss Rose, Macclesfield's neat and modern ground, has been transformed into a film set: mammoth cranes holding temporary arc lights tower over Macc's own diminutive by comparison floodlights. Make-up tents and catering vans have been erected around the pitch.

Carlos Tevez is here and Cristiano Ronaldo is due, but as far as Robinho's concerned, everything isn't going quite to plan. The brilliant Brazilian was supposed to be picked up from Manchester City's Carrington training ground at 1pm, but somehow "escaped" and "has been uncontactable for two hours". The 24-year-old son of Sao Paulo state has previous. At Real Madrid, Robinho would sneak out through a tiny window at the club's new training ground to avoid the scores of journalists who gather there every day.

His media forays in his new home have been limited to City organising a carefully managed interview with several of the reporters who cover the club for the national newspapers.

"Too many issues were off limits," moaned one journalist. "City wanted us to write that everything was wonderful, Robinho loved City,  the fans and Manchester."

There are no such restrictions today. An hour late, Robinho's five-strong entourage bowls into the room, where the photographer has set up the lights for our cover shoot. Small and energetic with perfect white teeth and a watch the size of Manchester's station clock, Robinho shakes hands and gets down to business. Like the most hyperactive kid you've ever met, he can't sit still for an instant, but he's all smiles as we begin.

 

£32.5m ($70m) is a lot. Are you worth it?

I didn't decide the price. If the club paid this amount it's because they think I'm worth it. Otherwise they wouldn't pay it.

 

If you had that amount of money, what would you spend it on?

My family. My mother, my father. And most of all on my son [one-year-old Robson Souza Junior]. I'm teaching him to play football. Also, I would think about charity for the street children of Brazil.

 

All summer you were linked to Chelsea: how close did you get to joining them?

I thought I was going to Chelsea, then Manchester City made an offer which was good for me and my family.

 

Why did the Chelsea deal not come off?

It was Chelsea's fault. Real Madrid did not want me to go there, but Chelsea did not help themselves. Everything would have gone ahead but they put that picture of me on the website [in a Chelsea kit before a fee had been agreed] and Madrid were very upset. They then said that I could leave, but not to a team who would be a rival in the Champions League. Manchester City were not a threat to Real Madrid.

 

You were very vocal about leaving Madrid, making it difficult for you to  stay. As the deadline approached, did you start to wish you'd stayed a bit quieter?

I don't repent. I talked because I had to.
I had to leave because the club was not right with me and I made the right decision. I'm far happier here than I was in the final months at Madrid. People should realise that I want to be here for many years to come.

 

You said last year that you wanted to play for Madrid until you were 30, then return to Santos. At what point did you realise you wouldn't be at Madrid for that long?

From the moment I realised the club didn't value me. Madrid wanted to sign another player. They didn't have confidence in me.

I know my potential as a footballer, I know what I'm worth. I should not be talked about as currency for someone else. It made me feel under-valued. It's not the way to treat people. But Real Madrid look after their own interests. If they want a player they will do everything they can. They did that with me. But then, the following year, they might have no interest in you at all.

 

Critics say you only left Madrid for the money. You were apparently the club's 14th highest paid player...

I've heard what people say. It's not true.
If I only wanted money, I would have gone somewhere else. I had offers from Saudi Arabia and Japan, I could have earned more.

 

But you would have looked ridiculous going to Asia at such a young age.

If I was only interested in money, I would have gone there. But I'm interested in success in Europe with Manchester City.

 

City haven't won a trophy for 33 years. Pelé was still playing back then...

[Laughs] That's the challenge. And it appeals. I remember Chelsea - three or four years ago they were considered a small club but now they are a big club. So
anything is possible.

 

The City deal seemed to come from nowhere: how quickly was it all done?

Quickly. City made me the final offer on the final day. I wanted to leave Madrid. I had to leave Madrid. The offer was very good for myself and my family, so I accepted.

 

How much did you know about City?

Elano told me all about Man City last year. He was very happy and spoke well about the club and Manchester. He told me that it was a big club with big ambitions. He liked the stadium, the fans and his team-mates. I talked to him again on the day I signed and he spoke well about Mark Hughes.

 

Did it hurt you when Pelé said "Robinho needs counselling" for joining City? Or when Marcelo Teixeira, Santos president, talked of "one of the most disgraceful episodes in Brazilian football"?

Of course. It's not nice to hear someone like Pelé being critical. But I can take it. When you leave Madrid - a famous club worldwide - it's normal to get criticism. I've played for the national team many times so I'm used to good and bad things being said about me. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. And I'm entitled to try to prove people wrong. It's my life, I make the decisions. 

 

One journalist claimed you arrived at Madrid as the new Pelé and left as the new Denilson... is that summary of your time in Spain unfair? And if it's not unfair, what's changed between then and now - as your performances have been far from unproductive for City?

That's a long question. I thought it would never end! Look, in Spain the newspapers which saw my situation with intelligence will know that I am right. But I don't worry about what newspapers say about me.

A year ago those same papers were saying how great I was, how great Madrid were. They said Schuster was the best coach ever. I felt I was a success at Madrid, that I matured as a footballer. I scored a lot of goals, I was an important player in a team which won the league alongside some great players, but things change quickly in football.

What I'm worried about is training well and staying in the best shape possible.
I take care of me and that's important.

 

What did you say when your agent first mentioned Man City's interest? Be honest, did you think he meant Man United?

No, I'm not stupid. Of course Manchester United is a more famous club in England. I knew there was a big difference. They are European champions and champions of England, but that's one reason I joined City. At City I can help to make a difference. What difference could I have made at
a club like United when they can't go any higher? The challenge appealed to me.

Everything is in place at City to progress - there's money for new players, many fans. Man City get more fans for matches than any club in Brazil. And in Spain only Real Madrid and Barcelona have bigger crowds.

 

Why did you sack your agent?

I didn't. There was another man who helped, but my agent is my father. Look, the papers in Madrid wrote some very negative things about me. They support Real Madrid so they are going to be against anyone who is against Madrid. I was cast as an enemy, the guilty party. I don't see it like that at all.

 

There's a commotion outside on Macclesfield's pitch. Ever since we've been talking, Carlos Tevez has been there scoring goals as directed for the cameras. Tevez is surrounded by a team of stand-ins who are wearing full Manchester United kits. Their opponents are Arsenal, though the segment featuring the Gunners stars was filmed closer to London.

Those locals who pop their head into Moss Rose to see what's going on look utterly bewildered at the sight of Arsenal against United in a neon glare on a freezing weekday afternoon in Macclesfield.

In years gone by, their mates would never have believed their story. Now, they snatch furtive footage on their mobiles. Still, the face of a pasty-faced teenager is still a picture when he sees a 12-strong posse headed by Cristiano Ronaldo coming his way. Ronaldo walks past a pitchside advertising hoarding proclaiming: 'Real Football, For Real Fans. At Real prices. Macclesfield Town FC.' It's a world away from the privilege which he and Robinho enjoy.

Given the number of stand-ins floating around, the youth double and triple takes to see if it really is the best player in the world striding onto the turf, with an uncharacteristically sunny expression.

Robinho looks on, taking it all in, his hands and feet never still. Our conversation turns to how he is acclimatising to his new northern home - and English football.

 

How are you finding Manchester?

I like it. It's cold but you soon get used to it. It rains and I'm not used to that. But I'm here to play football, not study the weather.

 

Two Brazilian restaurants have opened in Manchester in the last year...

I go when I miss Brazilian food. The other Brazilian players go too. We see some of the United lads in there. There's no problem.

 

How did your other Brazil team-mates react to you joining City? Have any expressed an interest in joining you?

There are Brazilian players in every country around the world. Footballers are Brazil's greatest exports. Even in the national team, there are players from many different countries. They will do what is right for them, but if they ask me about City I will say positive things.

 

How are you finding the Premier League?

It's very different here. In Spain two teams dominate. If Madrid is not winning, it's Barça. Here you have Chelsea, Arsenal,  Liverpool and Manchester United - four very strong clubs. The Spanish league is very good, but the English league is more difficult to win. I think they are the best two leagues in the world and maybe England is the best at the moment.

 

What about the fans here?

The stadiums are always full, which players like. It's not like that in Brazil, but in Brazil the atmosphere is fantastic, with the fans bouncing around and singing all the time. In Spain, the fans go to football like they go to the theatre. The fans need to be stimulated. That's true here, but they support the players and the team.

 

Are you having to play in a different way in England or do you just do your thing?

The ball is the same all over the world. The movement and style of play is a little different in England, but if you know how to play well you can be successful all over the world.

 

How much of a relief is it to be playing in your preferred position as a striker, after your stint on the wing for Madrid?

The coach puts me in the position that I like to play and I try to do my best there. I'm scoring goals and I hope to keep doing this. I've always liked to play closer to goal.

 

Did it frustrate you at Madrid when Fabio Capello played you out of position?

Capello is a good trainer. His style is very defensive, but that's his method and he has had success that way. Schuster was very different and I had a better understanding with him. He let me play freely so I could attack with confidence. I play in the same role here at City. My style is the same, always. I will not change.

 

You said in an interview with The Sun that you'd only spoken to Mark Hughes once in your first couple of months at the club: are you speaking more regularly now?

I have an excellent relationship with Mark Hughes. He's a very good manager who trusts in my ability. I have no problems with him. It's not true that I only spoke to him once. He speaks a few words of Spanish to me. He played in Spain when he was a player so he knows what it's like to move countries. I never saw him play, but I hear he was very good.

 

When Hughes played, transfers between English and Spanish clubs were rare. Now they are commonplace. Another player who has made the move from South America to Manchester via Spain's Primera Liga is City's Argentinian full-back Pablo Zabaleta, who played against Robinho for Espanyol against Real Madrid. Now he provides the crosses for the player known as Mr Pedalada ("lollipop") to work his magic.

"You expect one or two Brazilians in a Spanish changing room, but as a rival Argentinian I didn't expect to be
surrounded by them in England!" laughs Zabaleta, who has settled closer to Manchester city centre. "Robinho's gift is the ability to beat people. People in England haven't seen a fraction of what he can do. He is the first of many of this type of player they will bring. He plays for enjoyment and they want that kind of player here."

 

Everyone expects City to break the bank in the transfer window. What does the team most need right now?

That's for the manager. He decides. It's a good team, but it's not a great team. If we were a great team then we would be at the top of the league and not in the middle. But I feel we are progressing. We beat Arsenal and we beat them well, but there is a question of consistency, which has not been good enough this season.

Sometimes it's about mentality. We've suffered some very disappointing results. It's no good beating Arsenal if we lose the next game. No teams win every game, but the best teams win almost every week. We need to get a run of victories and there are good players here. They need to become winners. It's not just about signing big names.

 

Which City players have impressed you?

Lots of them, especially Micah [Richards], [Shaun] Wright-Phillips and Stephen Ireland. They have a good mentality. They have all come from the youth team. I admire that, but the newspapers don't write about them. They write only about the money and who City will buy next. Football's not just about big names, it's about teams.

 

As someone who played in the Champions League, how far off that level are City?

Not far. And I think we'll come closer when the manager buys new players. I've read some of the names and they are great players, but I think that the
manager will only buy players in the positions City need.

 

How many seasons are you prepared to go without Champions League football?

Next year we will try our best to reach the Champions League. It's not in my mind to leave the club. When I go on the pitch I carry the club's shirt in my heart. My aim is to give a lot of happiness to the supporters and carry on for many years. I want to repay everyone for making me so welcome.

 

What's been the highlight so far?

There have been some good moments, but the best are still to come. I'm playing well and scoring goals, but I can play better. Fans have not seen the best of me yet.

 

How is your English?

[In English] More or less. So so.

 

Are you having classes?

Every day. In my house. It's not difficult.

 

Do you know any Mancunian phrases?

[Back into Spanish] Not really. When I go downtown with Elano and my friends we speak Portuguese. I learned Spanish, which was easy for me, but English isn't so difficult. It's a world language and I will learn it.

 

Is it true you're learning English from watching Coronation Street on TV and that your nickname is Ken Barlow?

[Laughs] No, that's not true. The TV in our house isn't in English. People write things about me which aren't true. I do what normal people do: I go to the cinema or the theatre. People recognise me in the street, but they're are respectful. Fame isn't a burden here.

 

Your mother Maria was kidnapped for 41 days in 2004. How has that affected your attitude to fame?

It was a difficult time in my life and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Every day was a nightmare. I made an appeal on television for her. I don't know how people can do these things. They have evil in their hearts. 

[The kidnappers sent him a videotape of his mother in which they could be seen cutting off her hair. She was released after a ransom of $75,000 was paid and the kidnappers were subsequently arrested.]

I don't know what happened to them and whether they are in jail. In Brazil the law is that there is no law. It's in the past and I prefer not to dwell about it, but it made me realise that what really matters in life is your family.

 

Who are your friends outside your family?

I have friends inside and outside of football. In football, my friends are Elano, Diego, Kaka and Ronaldo. The Brazilian Ronaldo is phenomenal. Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player and deserves all the awards this year, but he's not the phenomenal Ronaldo!

 

Do you have a message for City fans?

Football is fun and I try to make the Man City fans happy. That's why I'm here, to bring happiness. Football has become more important. It's a business all over the world, but I still see football as fun.