Hey there! Let’s talk about the last 10 signings by Sir Alex Ferguson and where they are now.
last 10 signings by Sir Alex Ferguson
1. Anders Lindegaard
First, we have Anders Lindegaard, the Danish goalkeeper signed from Aalesund for £3.5m in January 2011. He was supposed to provide cover at Old Trafford but ended up making just 29 appearances in five years. That’s like barely getting to play in a schoolyard match!
Then he went to West Brom followed by a one-year stop with Preston and later sitting on the bench for Burnley. But don’t underestimate this guy – in 2020, he scored his first-ever goal in a 2-2 draw against Falkenbergs FF while playing for Allsvenskan side Helsingborgs IF. Talk about a late bloomer!
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Unfortunately, after Helsingborg got relegated from Allsvenskan in 2022, Lindegaard announced his retirement from football. Guess he’ll be trading his gloves for a cozy armchair and some popcorn from now on.
2. Phil Jones
The next one is Phil Jones, the £16.5m signing from Blackburn in June 2011. Jones has made a total of 183 appearances for United and has had some notable moments throughout his career. Unfortunately, he has had his fair share of injury problems and spent 20 months on the sidelines before returning to training and playing with the reserves in September 2021.
In a recent interview, he opened up about his struggles, calling it the “lowest” point of his life. Despite making a comeback to the first team in a game against Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2022, he missed the entirety of the 2022-23 season due to injury.
Jones left United upon the expiry of his contract earlier this summer after 12 years with the club.
He recently revealed that he has enrolled on a PFA global football sport directorship course and confirmed he was currently doing his coaching badges
3. Ashley Young
Ashley Young’s career at Manchester United was a mixed bag, and his bird pooping incident didn’t help matters. However, despite the ups and downs, he still managed to make over 180 appearances for the club. After a stint in Italy, he returned to his old stomping ground at Aston Villa.
Today, he is helping Everton ward off relegation after their 10 point deduction.
Sir Alex Ferguson had high hopes for Young when he signed him from Aston Villa, but it’s difficult to say whether he can be considered a legend at Manchester United.
4. David de Gea
David de Gea’s journey at Manchester United has been nothing short of remarkable. Despite a difficult start due to his lean physique, Sir Alex Ferguson’s unwavering belief in the young Spaniard proved to be spot on.
De Gea has since become a mainstay in the team, amassing an incredible 438 appearances for the club and consistently showcasing his shot-stopping abilities, reflexes, and distribution skills. His numerous accolades include the Premier League Golden Glove award, four Manchester United Player of the Year awards, and selection in the PFA Team of the Year five times.
It’s fair to say that De Gea’s success at Manchester United has been a testament to his talent and hard work, and he has undoubtedly cemented his place as a club legend, thanks to his former Scottish boss!
In June 2023, he left the club and is still a free agent.
5. Frederic Veseli
All great minds make mistakes and the signing of Frederic Veseli was indeed Ferguson’s error. In January 2012, he made a free transfer from Manchester City to Manchester United, much to the delight of United fans everywhere. But alas, his time at Old Trafford was short-lived, as he failed to break into the first team and was released in July 2013.
After leaving United, Veseli had a bit of a footballing adventure, with stints at Ipswich Town, Bury, and Port Vale. He even took a brief holiday in Italy, playing for Benevento in Serie B. But it was with Port Vale that Veseli really found his groove, playing well enough to earn a permanent contract. He has now moved to Benevento in Serie B.
6. Nick Powell
Talking about another Fergie failure, once upon a time, in the magical land of football, there was a young and promising player named Nick Powell. He was so good that even the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson was impressed by his skills and decided to sign him for £4 Million from Crewe Alexandra.
Everyone had high hopes for Nick, and fans eagerly awaited his debut. But alas, despite all the hype, he struggled to make it into the first team and only managed to play in three league games. It was like he had been hit by a spell of bad luck!
Eventually, Nick was released from the team in 2016, and it seemed like his career was over. But he didn’t give up! He decided to join Stoke City and start anew, determined to show everyone that he still had what it takes to be a top player.
7. Shinji Kagawa
Shinji Kagawa, the Japanese sensation, was brought in by United with great hopes. He had some good moments on the pitch, but he just couldn’t quite reach his full potential. However, he did have a shining moment when he won Man of the Match in Sir Alex Ferguson’s last game at Old Trafford against Swansea.
After a couple of years of ups and downs, Kagawa decided to head back to his old club, Borussia Dortmund, in 2014. But his adventures didn’t stop there! On January 10th, 2022, he signed up with the Belgian club Sint-Truiden. And just recently, on January 31st, 2023, Kagawa decided to go back to his roots, and he joined his boyhood club Cerezo Osaka in Japan.
8. Angelo Henriquez
Speaking of Ferguson’s later signings, another player who didn’t quite make the cut in England was Angelo Henriquez. Despite being signed at the young age of 18, the Chilean forward struggled to adapt to the Premier League and was loaned out to several clubs. He did have a successful stint at Dinamo Zagreb, where he scored an impressive 21 goals in 25 games. Eventually, he was permanently sold to Zagreb in 2015, before moving to Atlas in Mexico. However, in June 2022, Henriquez found a new home in the newly promoted Polish Ekstraklasa side Miedź Legnica, where he signed a three-year contract. Let’s see if the move to Poland helps him revive his career!
9. Robin van Persie
If you’re an Arsenal fan, the name Robin van Persie probably still gives you nightmares. But for Manchester United fans, he was a dream signing. Sir Alex Ferguson pulled off a master stroke by bringing the Dutchman to Old Trafford in the summer of 2012 for £24m. It turned out to be worth every penny, as Van Persie was instrumental in helping United win their 20th Premier League title in his first season at the club. He scored an incredible 26 goals, earning him the Golden Boot.
Unfortunately, Sir Alex retired after that season, and with him went Van Persie’s golden touch. He struggled with injuries and form in the following seasons, and eventually left the club in 2015 to join Turkish side Fenerbahce. Three years ago, he hung up his boots and turned to coaching. He is currently working as a coach at Feyenoord, the club where he began his professional career and where he is still revered as a legend.
10. Alexander Buttner and Wilfried Zaha
These last 2 signings were a mixed bag. Alexander Buttner, a Dutch full-back, failed to make much of an impact for the club despite the high hopes the legendary manager had for him.
He spent most of his time on the bench, making just 13 Premier League appearances in his one year with the club before being sold back to Vitesse. These days, he’s plying his trade as a left-back for Eerste Divisie club De Graafschap.
On the other hand, Wilfried Zaha didn’t impress during his brief stint at United. But since then he has gone on to become one of the most sought-after forwards in the Premier League. Zaha made only four appearances during his two years at United before he was sold back to Crystal Palace in 2014.
Since then, he became a key player for the Eagles and had continuously been linked with a big move to other Premier League clubs.
He eventually opted to leave the Premier League in favor of a move to Turkey.
We hope this is not the last we see of him in the Prem.
So there you have it, a mixture of great and not so great players make up the last 10 signings of the Scottish Legend.
