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Angel Di Maria’s imminent departure got me thinking how hard it is for foreign players to become legends of an English team, especially a team of Manchester United’s statue.
After a solitary season for United, Di Maria has simply got to go. He doesn’t want to be there and Louis van Gaal is not the type of manager who will put up with a player whose heart is not 100 per cent devoted.
After a record-breaking transfer from Real Madrid it is a bitterly disappointing pill for Untied fans to swallow – just the thought of a forward trio consisting of Wayne Rooney flanked by Memphis Depay and Di Maria is enough to send shivers down the spines of opposition defenders. But it just wasn’t meant to be.
So what is needed for an international to make his mark at a big English club?
When you think of United legends, names such as George Best, Bobby Charlton, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Rio Ferdinand come into your head – all of whom hail from the United Kingdom.
Recently some European players have managed to break the barrier and become United legends. Edwin van der Sar of the Netherlands was one of the best goalkeepers the Premier League has seen. Nemanja Vidic was captain courageous as United won the Champions League in 2008. Eric Cantona, although perhaps best remembered for his violent antics, was well loved by the Old Trafford faithful. And who could forget one of the best goalkeepers of all time, Peter Schmeichel, who captained Untied to the famous treble of 1999, and picked up two goalkeeper of the year awards during his time in England’s North.
However, such players are hard to come across, and to have such a profound effect at United they possessed more than just sublime skills.
The English league is unforgiving. Many deem it to be the best league in the world for its fast-paced game. For non-English players it can be difficult to adapt to the conditions and it is for this reason that many cannot keep up.
Nani was meant to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s heir, but he failed to perform to his best. Diego Forlan, the top goal scorer at the 2010 World Cup, struggled at United before finding his footing at Atletico Madrid. Alberto Aquilani was loaned out from Liverpool after just one season. In similar fashion Juan Sebastian Veron failed at both Manchester United and Chelsea before returning to Italy.
But some foreigners have managed to become legends of the Premier League.
Didier Drogba did it at Chelsea, as did Gianfranco Zola before him. Paolo Di Canio lit up the league during his time in England, while Thierry Henry is one of if not Arsenal’s best player of all time.
For United fans, conversations about Di Maria’s agonisingly short tenure at Manchester United will be full of ‘could ofs’ and ‘what ifs’. The devastatingly quick and precise winger filled United fans with hope for the future. While hope remains, thanks to a number of foreign signings in this pre-season, Di Maria will almost certainly play no role in this new-look United outfit.
The conversation should now turn to how Untied can help create a new wave of foreign legends. With a string of imports such as German legend Bastian Schwensteiger, young Italian Matteo Darmian and French midfield dynamo Morgan Schneirderlin, there is certainly hope that a foreigner can turn around United’s fortunes.
Although a Ronaldo or a Ruud van Nistelrooy do not come along very often, there is certainly potential for one young United player in particular to become an all-time legend of the club.
If new signing Memphis Depay can adapt to the fast conditions of English football’s top flight then he cement his place in Manchester United’s rich history.
At just 21 years of age he became the Dutch league’s top goal scorer last season. He is fast, has exciting flare, and is full of ambition. Having also worked with fellow Dutchman and United coach Van Gaal before, there’s no reason that a repetition of the Di Maria saga should occur.
Depay should settle in well and with the experienced head of Wayne Rooney – already a United legend and soon to be all-time top goal scorer for club and country – alongside him, the scene is set for Memphis to star in the red shirt.
Ultimately Di Maria and Manchester United were never destined to be a perfect match, as many foreigners have found before him. But there is still hope for imports, and soon we may see a young Dutchman become one of the best players in the Premier League.
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