The Brazilian started Monday night's FA Cup win over Reading just days after stories emerged claiming he had asked for a move three times, only for the requests to be rejected by manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Anderson has denied those stories are accurate, but almost six years after a move from Porto that could have cost the Red Devils £18million, the 24-year-old realises he still has so much to prove.
Indeed, after collecting Premier League and Champions League winners' medals at the end of his first season with the Old Trafford club, it has been something of a slog for a player whose career has repeatedly been interrupted by injury.
It would be no surprise if Ferguson eventually decided Anderson was surplus to requirements, but the incentive for the player to prove his doubters wrong is clear.
"The only places you could go to from here are Real Madrid and Barcelona," Anderson said.
"You can't have another choice because the level at Manchester United is so big. If you come here, you are definitely going to win titles.
"I have won the Premier League three times. I have won the Champions League once and lost two finals. I have always been there."
That does not tell the whole story. Anderson's contribution to the 2008 Champions League final triumph over Chelsea in Moscow was to take a nerveless penalty in the shootout after being introduced just a minute before the end of extra-time.
Twelve months later he was replaced at half-time as United struggled to contain Barcelona in Rome, whilst at Wembley two years ago Anderson remained on the bench throughout another Catalan masterclass.
Interspersed with this have been some pretty nasty injuries, mainly to his knees, that have led to extended periods on the sidelines and so much unfulfilled promise.
Yet Anderson insists that at no point has he wanted to leave.
"It is true that every time I take two steps forward I seem to take three back," he said. "But it is not true (to say I have nearly left three times).
"Everyone knows I am happy at the club. I have had a lot of injuries but I have never let the smile go from my face.
"I try to help the team all the time. This is me.
"When I want to leave I will have to talk to the boss first but I don't have any issues."
The former Porto man was at his bustling best last night, helping drive United towards a victory that keeps their Treble quest on track in addition to booking a sixth-round meeting with either Chelsea or Middlesbrough.
And it was an even more peripheral member of the Red Devils squad who was the catalyst.
Nani arrived at virtually the same time as Anderson and spent two years operating in the vast shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo before starting to flourish once his fellow countryman had left for Real Madrid.
This season, though, the winger's chances have been strictly limited.
Amid much-publicised contract wrangling, the pending arrival of Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace and interest from Zenit St Petersburg, it has been widely assumed Nani's time at Old Trafford was drawing to a close.
However, it was his contribution that tipped the balance in his side's favour against a plucky Reading outfit, scoring the first and setting up a second for Javier Hernandez to confirm that last-eight berth.
"It is hard because there are 25 players here who can play for any team in the world," said Anderson.
"Everyone knows Nani's quality can be high.
"He won this game for us. But that could be me, Nani, anyone.
"It is not easy to play for Manchester United. A lot of top players came here and couldn't do it - Veron for instance.
"Kleberson came here and didn't play."
The only setback last night came from an injury to Phil Jones.
Ferguson has already ruled the England international out of Saturday's trip to QPR and could now choose to offer vague assessments of his likely recovery time to leave Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho guessing about his availability for Champions League duty on March 5.
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