Abhranil Roy
A club that oozes history as much as Manchester United does is bound to have many superstars, champions and cult heroes, and also ones that have been forgotten because they weren’t as good or as swashbuckling as some of their colleagues. History may not remember them favourably, but as fans, we love these forgotten stars as much as we love our bigger ones. It’s time to appreciate those who shied away from the Old Trafford spotlight, the plucky underdogs, the willing understudies.They may not have been the superstars that topped the scoring charts, but they’ve been vital in ensuring United’sposition as kings of the Premier League era. So here’s a list of 3 United heroes whose names, have sadly, gotten buried with time:
1. David May-
He may not have been as famous as Rio Ferdinand or Jaap Staam, or even half as good as them, but the passion he had for the club was unmatched. May could slot in anywhere at the back four, and he is remembered fondly for losing his marbles in the celebrations after the 1999 Champions League Final despite not playing a single minute of the campaign.
2. Louis Saha-
The Evertonian’s tale is one of that of injuries and more injuries, and he will forever be a case if what could have been. He twice usurped Ruud van Nistelrooy in United’s starting lineup after hot streaks in front of goal, but groin, hamstring and knee issues meant fans never got to see what he could do when given a full season to work with.
3. Andrei Kanchelskis-
The Russian was the Premier League’s first superstar from beyond the Iron Curtain, and he has a trendsetter in many ways. He had plenty of tricks and pace and was one considered one of United’s best players in the early 90s. But he fell between eras. He didn’t have the aura of Eric Cantona or the show-stopping delivery of David Beckham and ended up leaving before the true golden patch began.
