The Ones That Got Away: Gerard Piqué

Continuing our series on player's who slipped through our fingers and went on to dominate for other teams, we have a look at Spain's classy Gerard Piqué.

Gerard Piqué was picked up by United in 2004 from Barcelona and starred for our reserve team. He eventually made his debut for United in 2004 in the League Cup and slowly rose through the ranks. Along with Giuseppe Rossi, Piqué was a highly touted prospect for United and it seemed as if we had a real gem in defense. He even began to appear on the bench pretty often and scored his two only senior goals for us in the Champions League. Finally, we had a reliable protege who could learn from Rio  Ferdinand.

Alas, it was not meant to be as Piqué was sold back to Barcelona at the end of the 2007-2008 season. It bugged me a little bit that we were letting a potential first-teamer go to a MASSIVE club, but I knew that we still had Ferdinand, Vidic, and Brown to make sure that we didn't commit suicide at the back (although Brown has come close to it). What I didn't expect however, was Piqué to turn into one of Barcelona's best defenders, learning from the epicness that is Carles Puyol.

Today Piqué is Puyol's number one defensive partner for both club and country. He's won three League titles (one with United), two Champions League medals (one at United, at one at Barcelona the following year against United), and one World Cup medal. I must say, the boy's done pretty well for himself. It's just a shame we couldn't hold on to him and turn him into a great at Old Trafford. Oh well, at least we can try with Jonny Evans...

The Ones That Got Away: Diego Forlán

He came from Uruguay, made the Scousers cry.

Who could forget those goals against Liverpool; the frenzied celebration and the failure to get his shirt back on against Southampton at Old Trafford; being there (eventually), somehow, when we needed a goal?

Diego Forlán didn't have an illustrious career while at United, yet the fans still sing his name every now and then, when revisiting the good memories of that fateful day at Anfield.
After going 8 months and 27 matches without scoring a goal, even I admit I was wondering who this guy was. With Ruud van Nistelrooy scoring for fun, literally, it was hard to see Forlán breaking into the first team as regularly and faithfully as the more prolific of that generation.

After 2 years of underwhelming achievements, he made the switch. Signing for Villareal—a pre-cursor of things to come at United, seeing as the other 1TGA Rossi also signed for the Yellow Submarine—and in his first season, netting 25 goals and also getting his hands on the Pichichi Trophy, awarded to the league's top scorer. From bench-warmer to top-scorer. Why didn't we keep a hold of him!? In the three seasons he spent at Villareal, he scored 59 times in all competitions from 128 appearances. Now, that's 30 more games (about a season) more, but 42 goals more (17 goals, 98 apps) than his United tenure.

Forlán was linked to transfer with team-mate Juan Román Riquelme to Atlético Madrid in exchange for Luis Perea and money in June 2007. On 30 June 2007, following the departure of their captain Fernando Torres to Liverpool, Atlético Madrid confirmed that they had agreed to a fee of around €21 million.

And he's currently enjoying a prolific spell as Atlético's main man. His second season for them seeing him net THIRTY-FIVE, 35, TREINTA Y CINCO goals, and his second Pichichi Trophy. Some player.

Then he goes and wins the Golden Ball playing for Uruguay, top scoring (along with like 3 other dudes, they might be famous and good too) at the World Cup. Some player.

Moral of the story? If a player scores against Liverpool, and the fans still sing his name for it, he'll come good sooner or later.

The Ones That Got Away: Giuseppe Rossi

As part of a new series, The Stretford Roar will be looking at those players who were once Red Devils but left for pastures new and made a big name for themselves away from the M16.

Today we'll be looking at Villarreal's attacking wonder, Giuseppe Rossi

After being snapped up Federico Macheda style from Parma's youth team, Rossi was touted as a very exciting young prospect for Manchester United. He was banging the goals in for our reserve team and was on the edge of making the first team. In the end, Rossi was unfortunate as that was as far as he was going to get at United. After two seasons on the fringe of the first team, Rossi left United for Villarreal after playing 14 games and scoring 4 goals in all competitions. 

I was devastated when I heard that Rossi was leaving. I always saw him as our future star striker and had him leading my frontline on my Football Manager game. So yeah, it didn't surprise me that he was a hit in Spain and scored 45 goals in 122 games. A part of me was, and always will be, disappointed that Rossi couldn't make it in Manchester, but I guess with players like van Nistelrooy, Rooney, Saha, and Smith in the line-up, it was always going to be difficult for a rookie to make it. 

That being said, when Rossi signed with Villarreal, there was a buy-back clause in his contract which meant that United have the option of resigning him. The details on this clause aren't entirely clear, but it is safe to assume that one day, whenever that day may be, Rossi MAY make his way back to the red half of Manchester.

As for now, I'm happy that he's playing well in La Liga and that he's getting recognition on the international stage as well. Despite the fact that he doesn't wear the United shirt anymore, I wish him well in his burgeoning career.