13 of the best (in no particular order)... Eric Cantona ‘The - TopicsExpress



          

13 of the best (in no particular order)... Eric Cantona ‘The King’ almost singlehandedly guided United to their first League title in 26 years in 1993, having been snapped up by Fergie from Leeds for a measly £1.2 million after the United boss chanced his arm during a phone conversation between the chairmen of both clubs. Hugely influential during United’s period of dominance during the 90s, Cantona was a cult hero on the terraces until his premature departure in 1997 and is still revered at Old Trafford to this very day. Denis Irwin A £650k capture from Oldham in 1990, Irwin went on to become the most dependable full-back in the league, was comfortable on the left or right side and couldn’t half hit a free-kick either. His pockets were full of medals when he eventually left Old Trafford in 2002, including seven Premier League titles, three FA Cups, A Cup Winners Cup and a Champions League winning medal from 1999. Ole Gunnar Solksjaer Signed from Molde for a paltry £1.5 million in 1996, the Baby Faced Assassin will go down as one of the most effective super-subs to play the game but that wouldn’t be doing him justice. Along with Robbie Fowler, Solksjaer was probably the best finisher of his era and will forever be remembered for his match-winning contribution in the 1999 Champions League Final. Wayne Rooney He didn’t come cheap, but Rooney has more than justified the huge £27 million outlay since arriving as a raw teenager in 2004. He set the bar incredibly high by scoring a hat-trick on his debut, but despite a few blips and runs of bad form in between, he has lived up to expectations and remains United’s most important player today. Cristiano Ronaldo Eyebrows were raised when Fergie splashed out £12.25 million for the unknown Portuguese teenager in 2003, but when he was sold on for a £67 million profit six years later few doubted that CR7 represented huge value for money during his time in the north-west. Took time to find his feet at Old Trafford, but by the time he left he had become the unstoppable goal-scoring machine we see in Real Madrid colours today. His name is still sung by the United supporters almost without fail every weekend. Peter Schmeichel The Great Dane was instrumental in Uniteds domination of the 1990s. A hugely commanding keeper, he was a game winner on many an occasion. This save in the Champions League against Rapid Vienna is one of the best saves you will ever see. Hard to imagine better value for money than the £500,000 Fergie paid Brondby for his services in 1991. A social chameleon, Schmeichel now sports an impressive Mancunian accent. Roy Keane Eyebrows were raised when Fergie broke the British transfer record to buy the Cork man in 1993, but what a shrewd investment it proved. An inspirational captain that brought the best out in those around him. Keano in 1993. Doesnt he look so innocent? Left under a cloud to join Celtic in 2005 and the relationship with his manager was over, but Fergie still regards him as the finest captain he ever had. Not so much loved by MUTV, the prawn cocktail brigade or Alan Shearer. Edwin Van Der Sar Fergie signed him as a 35-year-old but he was a rock during his six-year stay at Old Trafford. The first goalkeeper since Schmeichel that achieved any consistency, he was instrumental in the Champions League success in 2008. The oldest player to ever win the Premier League, he created a world record during the 2008/09 season by not conceding a goal for 1,311 minutes of action. Ruud van Nistelrooy He cost £19 million and like Roy Keane, he left on bad terms when Louis Saha ousted him from the starting XI, but 95 goals in 150 games tells you everything you need to know. His partnership with Rooney was more than just Shrek and Donkey, it was devastating against Premier League and European defences alike. Only one Premier League and FA Cup medal was a poor return for a player that had such an impact in his five years at the club. Steve Bruce The central defender will be held dearly in Man United fans’ hearts for years and at £800,000 from Norwich, he was a steal. Man United’s first captain after Bryan Robson, Roy Keane spoke of him as one the true leaders of Fergie’s first great Man United side. The first Englishman of the twentieth century to captain a side to the Double (1993/94 season), his two late goals against Sheffield Wednesday the previous year secured Man United’s first league title since 1967. Legend. Mark Hughes Alex Ferguson bought back Sparky from Barcelona after the Welshman had spent a few seasons in Spain and in his first season back he won Player of the Year. Over the next few years Hughes, nearly as much as Cantona, had a penchant for scoring spectacular and vitally important goals. A cult hero at United and though he cost £1.8million, a British record at the time, that outlay looks like a steal now. Nemanja Vidi? The Serbian cost £7 million when he was bought in 2005; his long time partner Rio Ferdinand cost £30 million. Many would contend that the aggressive, intelligent Vidi? has been more vital to United’s success in recent years than Rio. Despite a shaky first six months at United his importance is always apparent when he’s missing, like at the moment. At the heart of United’s defence for four Premier League titles and one Champions League. £7 million? Not bad... Patrice Evra Evra arrived for £5 million from Monaco in 2006 and since then he has been a France and United captain. He can attack and defend with an astonishing stamina and work rate. If you were to design the ideal modern full-back from scratch he would end up looking like the Frenchman. After Denis Irwin’s departure from Man United, Silvestre and Heinze fought it out for the left-back slot. Evra put an end to that discussion and although he looked particularly shaky last year, he’s been back to his somewhere approaching his best and even among the goals in recent weeks
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 21:16:37 +0000

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