[ad_1]
In the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, players rarely said no to moving to Manchester United. Under the Scotsman, United dominated entirely in England, winning 13 Premier League titles.
Moving to the club was so attractive that many players burned bridges to make the move a reality.
The rivalries were forgotten and the promises were broken once Fergie called.
We take a look at the players the boss signed with his best rivals.
Eric Cantona
Sir Alex Ferguson described the Leeds vs Manchester United matches as “fantastic and fighting occasions”. The rivalry is based on fierce competition between Lancashire and Yorkshire, dating back to the 15th century War of the Roses.
It is also a showdown between teams that have been largely antagonized by almost every other fan in England.
And then it wasn’t easy for Leeds when they lost superstar Eric Cantona to their fiercest rivals.
Leeds had just won the first division trophy, but Cantona’s arrival at United sparked a 25-year dynasty for the Manchester club. Oh.
One of the best signings of Fergie’s career and a player whose closed-minded will to win provided the catalyst for United’s era of dominance.
read more
Related Posts
Robin van persie
“That boy inside me was screaming for United.”
Without a league title to his name, Van Persie went to Old Trafford, smashed in a ton of goals, and picked up the Premier League winners medal 12 months later.
This was made even sweeter by the fact that Van Persie was the captain of Arsenal. In May of that year, the Gunners were forced to give United title winners an honor guard, applauding Van Persie out of the tunnel.
Brutal.
Rio Fernando
Rio Ferdinand became the most expensive British footballer and the most expensive defender in the world for the second time when he moved from Leeds to United for £ 27 million in 2002.
Another taken from the other side of the Pennines, this one became even more bitter for Leeds, since they were forced to separate from Ferdinand due to their precarious financial situation.
The money could not save Leeds from plummeting into the divisions, a dive from which only now have they almost recovered.
Ferdinand allegedly sat in the Leeds president’s office for six hours to force the deal.
He went on to become one of United’s best defenders, lifting almost all of the trophies on the list.
Andy Cole
Newcastle were the main contenders in the mid-1990s, and forwards as good as Andy Cole were rare.
Fergie made him a Manchester United player in 1995, the summer before the two clubs faced off in one of the fiercest battles for Premier League supremacy in history.
Kevin Keegan’s famous tirade after Newcastle ruined a 12-point lead lives forever in memory. Andy Cole became a title winner and Newcastle went home empty handed.
Cole was the most expensive player of his time, and with good reason. He scored 121 goals in six years and created a deadly association with Dwight Yorke.
Newcastle could have beaten Manchester United with the signing of Alan Shearer 12 months later, but even he could not help Newcastle make cutlery.
Tony Coton
Tony Coton is the only player Fergie signed with Manchester City.
The keeper ‘came from City to replace Peter Schmeichel, but in his short time at Old Trafford he made it to the substitute bench only twice.
He moved to Sunderland six months later.
His £ 500,000 fee remains the record for a transfer between United and City.
Alan Smith
Another from Leeds who risked burning bridges to move to Old Trafford.
Smith had been recorded saying that he would never play for United, but with Leeds facing management, he moved to Manchester for £ 7 million.
The truth is, Leeds needed to get rid of Smith, whose wages they couldn’t pay. But that didn’t stop some Leeds fans from comparing the forward to Judas.
The striker won a Premier League title with United and scored in that famous 7-1 victory over Rome. He struggled with wounds and sadly failed to reach his full potential.
Viv Anderson
Viv Anderson has the honor of being Fergie’s first signing at United, and was borrowed from none other than his league rivals Arsenal.
Manchester United had finished second that season, with Liverpool taking first place and Arsenal sixth. But the two clubs changed their fortunes the following year, with Arsenal topping the table and United in 11th place.
This was, of course, before the days of Roy Keane, Patrick Viera, pizza-gate, and Arsene Wenger.
Things were not as intense between the two clubs.
[ad_2]
