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      De Gea defends position at Man Utd by insisting ‘I trust in myself’ as pressure mounts for Dean Henderson to return

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      DAVID DE GEA has defended his position at Manchester United, insisting “I am still the number one”.
      The Spanish goalkeeper has come under pressure this season after a number of calamitous errors not least in the FA Cup semi-final.

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      David De Gea plans to stick around as Manchester United’s No1 next seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      He got the nod over Sergio Romero for the Europa League semi-final on Sunday and conceded twice as United went down 2-1 to Sevilla.
      But De Gea said: “I trust in myself.
      “I have shown my qualities all the years. So I will just stay available for the manager.

      “I’m always ready to play and try to help the team, as I have always done.”
      There have been calls for Dean Henderson to be made the number one after he returned from two successful seasons on loan at Sheffield United.
      Henderson also wants to be assured by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or will insist on leaving either on loan or in a permanent deal.

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      De Gea has just completed his ninth season with the club but has just four trophies to his name during that time – a Premier League title, FA Cup, EFL Cup and Europa League.

      Another campaign has now passed with United empty-handed following their defeat to Sevilla.
      It is the first time they have gone three seasons without a trophy in 30 years.
      And De Gea believes a lack of experience in Solskjaer’s young team cost them at the semi-final stage of a competition for the third time this season.
      De Gea said: “We deserve to be in the final, if we are honest.
      “But maybe we need a bit of experience, more experience on the team, but we have to score the chances. That was the point for us.”

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      Dean Henderson is knocking on the United custodian’s doorCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      De Gea still believes there are plenty of positives from the season not least in hunting down both Chelsea and Leicester to claim third place in the league
      He said: “I think we improved this season. We were 14 points behind the third position in the Premier League and we finished third at the end.
      “I think we are playing very good football, attacking football.
      “Let’s keep improving, let’s keep fighting for this club and let’s try to win trophies next season.”

      Ally McCoist says Manchester United have a ‘big decision to make’ regarding David De Gea with Dean Henderson ‘playing particularly well at Sheffield United’ More

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      Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand reveals his first run-in with Cristiano Ronaldo and how Sir Alex Ferguson sealed transfer

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Rio Ferdinand revealed the first time he knew Cristiano Ronaldo was going to be a superstar.
      The TV pundit explained how Ronaldo dazzled as an 18-year-old for Sporting Lisbon in a pre-season friendly against United in 2003.

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      Rio Ferdinand explained how Manchester UNited signed Cristiano RonaldoCredit: Getty – Contributor
      He had such an impact that legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson and chief exec David Gill delayed the team bus by an hour as they desperately tried to sign the Portuguese winger after the game.
      The match was held to christen the opening of the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon and United wasted no time in beating off the competition to poach Ronaldo for themselves.
      Ferdinand told BT Sport: “He started there.
      “We arrived there coming back from America on tour, this was the last leg everyone was knackered, jet-lagged etc and we got asked to play in it late.

      “We obviously got there, opened the stadium, we came off that pitch and anyone who didn’t know about Cristiano Ronaldo before we got there definitely did by the time we left.
      “When we got to the stadium in the pre-match warm-up, people started, it got around – people saying that kid there, he’s meant to be a superstar.
      “Bearing in mind we’d missed out on signing Ronaldinho as well that summer.
      Signing Ronaldo
      “We were still on the search for a superstar but we didn’t see it coming in the form of a young teenager.

      “But by the time the game finished all the players were saying to the manager ‘When are we going to get him?’
      “We were sat on the coach after – ‘Where are we going?’ – delayed an hour, want to get home after a big tour.
      “And the manager and David Gill, the chief executive at the time, were upstairs doing a deal trying to sign him straight away, great recruitment.”

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      Rio Ferdinand explained how Sir Alex Ferguson snared Cristiano RonaldoCredit: Getty – Contributor

      “It got around in the warm-up, that kid there, he’s a superstar.””We were sat on the coach afterwards, delayed an hour, David Gill and Sir Alex were upstairs trying to sign him!”@RioFerdy5 remembers his first run-in with a young Ronaldo 🇵🇹#Club2020 pic.twitter.com/EFgfPmXD1A
      — Football on BT Sport #Club2020 (@btsportfootball) August 15, 2020

      Fans have compared Ronaldo’s leadership skills with wantaway Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi.
      And the 35-year-old Portuguese icon showed off his killer abs while on a luxury yacht holiday.
      Ronaldo was joined on board by his parter Georgina Rodriguez with rumours circulating that Paris Saint-Germain could make a shock move for the former Real Madrid man.

      Cristiano Ronaldo goes diving on holiday as his camp slam ‘completely false’ rumours of transfer away from Juventus More

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      Bruno Fernandes breaks silence on row with Man Utd team-mate Victor Lindelof and insists ‘it’s normal, everyone was mad’

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      BRUNO FERNANDES has played down his on-pitch row with Victor Lindelof as Manchester United crashed out of the Europa League.
      The Swedish defender was hammered for losing goalscorer Luuk de Jong as the Dutchman struck a 78th-minute winner for Sevilla in Sunday’s semi-final.

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      TV cameras picked up the furious argument between the United teammates on the pitch
      After the goal, Fernandes was seen lambasting Lindelof, pointing and shouting at his colleague who looked astonished at being blamed, shaking his head and bellowing back at the playmaker.
      The matter was dealt with there and then, as 25-year-old Fernandes saw it, and he explained post-game that “everyone” was angry after conceding the goal.
      He told BT Sport: “I think it’s normal, you know, when you [concede] a goal in the last [minutes] – we have 10 minutes after to score again.
      “Everyone was mad. It’s not about me or Victor, it’s about every team.

      “What happened between me and Victor is nothing. It’s normal, it’s football, it happens. It’s looking for each other.
      “There will be many more times these things happen in other teams.

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      Victor Lindelof was guilty of losing Luuk de Jong for Sevilla’s winning goalCredit: EPA

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      But Bruno Fernandes and Co had missed several good chances down the other endCredit: AFP

      “The most important thing now is we need to see the mistakes everyone did and look forward to improve in the next games.”
      Fernandes had set United on their way to victory in Cologne with the side’s 22nd penalty of the season.

      Yet slack defending allowed an unmarked Suso to level from the far-post after 25 minutes.
      Still, United had the lion’s share of the chances and Yassine Bounou’s exceptional performance in the Sevilla goal helped consign Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to their third semi-final defeat of the season.

      Bruno Fernandes’ penalty technique at Sporting Lisbon More

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      Man Utd had 46 shots against Sevilla and Copenhagen in Europa League mini-league… and only scored two penalties

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      MANCHESTER UNITED’S poor finishing cost them tasting Europa League glory this season.
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat to Sevilla in their semi-final clash in Cologne.

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      Manchester United fluffed their lines when it mattered mostCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      But just like in the previous round against Copenhagen, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side missed a whole host of chances to kill the game off.
      In these two games, United had FORTY-SIX shots at goal – but have only two scored penalties from Bruno Fernandes to show for it.
      Solskjaer was desperate to end the season with some silverware to add to an impressive third-placed finish in the Premier League.
      But it is perennial Europa league winners Sevilla who progress through to the final back in Cologne.

      Watching the two games, you wouldn’t have thought Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood have shared 62 goals between them.
      Speaking to BT Sport about the missed opportunity of silverware, Solskjaer said: “It’s one of them if you take chances you win comfortably – not always the case in football.
      “We had moments in spells in both halves where we should have scored a few.
      “We have a young team – some spells showed that this group of players will have to learn and get some consistency in their play.

      “When we get the ball down and create chances it’s scintillating at times.
      “It’s disappointing we didn’t score because we’ve got players with that quality.”

      Their keeper did very well, but the quality we have we should have scored
      Bruno FernandesManchester United Midfielder

      And Fernandes, the only player to score in both games, added: “[It was] more than a positive start. We played a great game and created a lot of chances.
      “But in football it’s not enough – we missed a lot in front of goal.
      “We are not satisfied about this because we wanted to go through.
      “Their keeper did very well, but the quality we have we should have scored.”
      The disappointment could see United push on with their pursuit of Jadon Sancho.
      His club Borussia Dortmund insist the 20-year-old winger is going nowhere, but a bid in the excess of £100million could change that.
      And United legend Paul Scholes believes United would have beaten Sevilla if they had Sancho in the team.
      “We know all this Sancho stuff is going on, they need to spend more money.
      “If they want to win trophies, they’ve got to start spending the money.

      “They created chances tonight but if you think of Sancho in that team tonight I think United are scoring.”
      Scholes believes United lack quality depth in their squad, a problem that can only be solved by spending big cash on star names.
      And the 45-year-old has urged old team-mate Solskjaer to keep on pushing, explaining that quality players like Sancho are the only ones who can lift United past their current state and help them win finals.

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      Anthony Martial could have added a few more goals to his 23 against SevillaCredit: Getty – Pool

      Man Utd could face bidding war for Jadon Sancho as Dortmund hope to delay transfer until next summer More

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      Man Utd fume as Sevilla WRONGLY awarded throw-in in build-up to goal… but VAR cannot overrule as club crash out

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      MANCHESTER UNITED were left fuming after they crashed out of the Europa League thanks to a controversial equaliser.
      Sevilla levelled after the Spanish club were wrongly awarded a throw-in in the build-up to their equalising goal.

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      Manchester United’s players were fuming that the Sevilla goal was allowed to standCredit: AP:Associated Press

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      The ball clearly flicked off the hair of Sevilla’s Jules Kounde

      And despite VAR being present for the Europa League semi-final clash, it is not used for those decisions.
      The ball clearly flicked off the hair of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, but the assistant flagged the decision in the Spaniards’ favour.
      And as often happens in football, a goal was the result of the wrong decision.
      Former Liverpool midfielder Suso was the man who swpet the ball home at the far post to tie the game up at 1-1, finishing a cross from impressive Chelsea target Sergio Reguilon.

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      Former Liverpool midfielder Suso swept home the equaliserCredit: AFP

      Okay our defense was absolute crap in the goal but man that ref is having a field day. Our throw in. Kounde touched the ball @ManUtd #mufc #MUNSEV #uel
      — Hjortur T. Halldors. (@HTHalldorsson) August 16, 2020

      The likes of Paul Pogba and Harry Maguire protested to referee Felix Brych, but the goal stood.
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was not impressed with the decision either.
      He said: “It was a throw-in – 100 per cent, but when you don’t get it you can’t stop.
      “You know it’s our throw-in but it ends up on other side of pitch at the other end [and they cross it for the goal].”

      The Norwegian added: “It’s one of them if you take chances you win comfortably – not always the case in football.
      “We had moments in spells in both halves where we should have scored a few.
      “We have a young team – some spells showed that this group of players will have to learn and get some consistency in their play.
      “When we get the ball down and create chances it’s scintillating at times. The keeper had a fantastic game. It’s disappointing we didn’t score because we’ve got players with that quality.”
      United fans took to social media to slam the decision.
      Aaran Murphy tweeted: “Ref is terrible should’ve been our throw in.”
      Avinash Raina believes VAR SHOULD be able to intervene, posting: “Why on earth is Sevilla’s goal given?!?!
      “To begin with, it was Manchester United’s throw in! Why wasn’t this checked with the VAR team?”
      Hortjur Halldors was similarly angry with the decision, but also with United’s defence.
      He wrote: “Okay our defence was absolute crap in the goal but man that ref is having a field day.

      “Our throw in. Kounde touched the ball.”
      Bruno Fernandes had put United ahead from the penalty spot after Marcus Rashford was fouled.
      It was United’s 22nd penalty of the season. More

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      Martial, Rashford and Co give Man Utd spades of attacking flair… but they lack the end product Sancho would bring

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      MANCHESTER UNITED’S attacking prowess is like a starter and main course of a meal, without the dessert.
      Some of the build up play by the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood is simply mouthwatering.

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      Anthony Martial had plenty of chances to score against Sevilla – but failed to do soCredit: Reuters

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      Marcus Rashford will also be gutted at not finding the back of the netCredit: EPA
      But there is a distinct lack of sweetness – in this case goals.
      Yes, Martial has netted 23 times this season, Rashford 22 and Greenwood 17 in all competitions.
      But the first two could be in Cristiano Ronaldo hauls of goals for this season if they had taken all their chances.
      Whether it’s been heroic defending, losing balance at the vital time or a dodgy decision, United have struggled to really kill off opponents.

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      Jadon Sancho, heavily linked with United, rarely fluffs his chancesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      We saw it against Copenhagen in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
      Yes, the Danes’ keeper Karl-Johan Johnsson had an inspired game, but all three United strikers should have netted in normal time of that game.
      And again tonight in the 2-1 loss to Sevilla, everything in the build-up was perfect at times, but that killer instinct just wasn’t there.
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side should have been home and hosed at half-time against perennial Europa League success-stories Sevilla.

      But all they had to show for a host of chances created was a penalty, their 22nd of the season, scored once agains by Bruno Fernandes.
      COOL CUSTOMER SANCHO
      Martial was labelled a £100million player by United legends Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves after that Copenhagen game and likened to a Ferrari.
      But to really be at that level, he needs to repeat Ronaldo’s 37 goals, Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski’s incredible 54 and Lazio ace Ciro Immobuile’s 37.
      One player who shows all the coollness of those player when it comes to taking his chances could be winging his way to Old Trafford.
      United are heavily linked with bringing in England star Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund this summer.
      The 20-year-old’s development at Borussia Dortmund has been nothing short of sensational – Manchester City must be raging at letting him leave so easily.
      Sancho has netted 20 goals this season, and in this United team who create so much you could see him adding another 10 to that.

      If Sancho joins that would mean Rashford, Martial and Greenwood competing for the other two slots.
      If that competitions doesn’t tell them to take their chances then nothing will.
      Ferrari Martial needs to get into sixth gear or find himself reversing out of the starting XI More

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      Bebe claimed leaving Man Utd was ‘best moment of my life’ but averaged just two goals a year since.. so where is he now?

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      EVERY child hopes to sign for a club like Manchester United…but Bebe’s time at the Theatre of Dreams became a nightmare.
      This week marks ten years since the Portuguese flop made the move to Old Trafford.

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      Bebe failed to make the grade at Manchester UnitedCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      Spotted at the Homeless World Cup, Sir Alex Ferguson stumped up £7.4million to sign Tiago Manuel Dias Correia, nicknamed Bebe, a decade ago.
      Recommended to him by trusty No2 Carlos Queiroz, Sir Alex activated the player’s release clause at Vitoria Guimaraes despite having NEVER seen him play.
      It should have been the ultimate rags to riches fairytale but ended in Bebe being regularly labelled one of the biggest failures in the Premier League’s history.
      He left in 2014 having made just seven senior appearances in four years.

      And Bebe said when he found out he had been sold to Benfica it was the “best moment of my life”.
      But what is he up to now?
      EARLY LIFE
      After being abandoned by his parents, Bebe spent the best part of a decade in a homeless shelter, where he was taught to read and write and reluctantly learnt to play football.
      As quoted by the Daily Star, he said: “I had eight years in an orphanage. There, I did not like football.

      “But my friends always wanted to play and I had no choice but to join in.”
      He soon picked up the game on the dusty pitch at Lisbon’s Caso do Gaiato.

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      Bebe, left, arrived at the same time as Javier Hernandez and Chris SmallingCredit: AP:Associated Press
      HOMELESS WORLD CUP
      Bebe’s big break came after he was talked into representing Portugal at the Homeless World Cup.
      Something he admits he only did for a laugh.
      He added: “They asked me to go to the Homeless World Cup, and I accepted.
      “I went there as a joke, but scored 40 goals in six matches.”
      But incredibly, Bebe admitted he wanted to stay HOMELESS rather than join a club.
      He explained: “I didn’t want to sign for a team because I did not want to have to leave the orphanage.
      “It was difficult to leave. But I carried on going back there to sleep whenever I could.”
      JOINING MANCHESTER UNITED
      Bebe said he believed he was being wound up when he was told of Manchester United’s interest in him.
      It was only a matter of weeks after he had traded third tier Estrela de Amadora for top-flight Vitoria Guimaraes.
      He told Goal: “It wasn’t that [I didn’t believe in myself], I just know what life is like and I think anyone would have the same thought as me.
      “If you are playing in the third or fourth division in Portugal and suddenly one of the best teams in the world calls you, I think anyone would think ‘Can this actually be true?’
      “I felt that way for a week or two, thinking that they were joking with me.
      “When I signed, I didn’t go to England but instead spent four days in Portugal. And I still thought they were kidding.
      “I went to Carrington, I met all the players for the first time but I still thought that it was a lie!
      “But the moment I spoke with Ferguson, that was when I thought: ‘finally I am here’.
      “I started believing it in my head on that day, it took a lot to believe it!”
      FOUR YEARS AS A RED DEVIL
      Despite a brief spell where he scored back to back goals against Wolves and Bursaspor on his Champions League debut…
      It did not take United too long to realise super agent Jorge Mendes had oversold Bebe’s ability.
      He started a mere three games for the Red Devils, all in domestic cup competitions.
      In one rare Premier League appearance against Wolves he produced a horror display of crossing after coming off the bench early on for the injured Owen Hargreaves.
      It led fans to question his future as a professional and many even felt sorry for him with his confidence visibly shot.
      Bebe suffered the shame of being a sub who was then hauled off himself in the second half.
      He did manage two goals in a red shirt but was farmed out on loan to Besiktas, Rio Ave and Pacos de Ferreira.

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      Bebe in Premier League action against WolvesCredit: Dave Pinegar – The Sun
      LEAVING OLD TRAFFORD
      Bebe’s miserable time at Old Trafford reached an inevitable conclusion six years ago.
      A move to Benfica was agreed for £2.4m as United swallowed a £5m loss on their disastrous investment.
      Bebe told Goal: “Every day I called my agent to ask him to get me out. It was a bad time.
      “When you do not play, even if you are at a great club, then you are not happy, so why continue?
      “I remember that I was going for a United game with the youth team, and my agent called me and told me I had been sold to Benfica.
      “It was the best moment of my life!
      “I am a ‘Benfiquista’, it was a dream to play there because all my friends and my family supported Benfica.
      “I did not sleep that day! I spent the whole day awake.”
      WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
      Bebe’s time at Benfica played out in a similar fashion to his spell in England.
      He made just six appearances for the Portuguese side, failing to register a single goal, and was shipped out on loan to La Liga sides Cordoba – no goals in 18 games – and Rayo Vallecano – 3 goals in 34 league games.
      In 2016 Eibar offered him a permanent Spanish home.
      He lasted 18 months and managed three goals and four assists in 29 La Liga showings.

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      Bebe at Eibar in SpainCredit: EPA
      January 2018 saw a return to Vallecano on loan, this time in the Spanish second-tier, and three goals and an assist in 17 games proved enough to help his side secure a return to the top flight.
      Bebe was rewarded with a permanent deal in August two years ago and, now 30, still turns out for the Madrid-based club.
      They finished rock bottom in 2019 and were relegated to the Segunda again, where they will stay after finishing seventh this campaign.
      The former Portugal Under-21 star has chalked up 95 appearances for the club, registering ten goals and 12 assists.

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      Bebe now plays for Rayo Vallecano
      LIFESTYLE

      The tattooed and bearded man Bebe is now, is a far cry from the fresh-faced and wide-eyed 20-year-old who first arrived at Carrington all those years ago.
      He celebrated turning 30 last month and has been keeping his 45,300 Instagram followers up to date with his injury rehab.
      He tore his ACL in October for the second time in his career and is not yet back to full fitness after undergoing an op.
      From humble beginnings Bebe now lives a comfortable lifestyle as a pro.
      When he signed his first professional deal with Estrela de Amadora he received just shy of £1,000.
      Bebe told Desporto: “It seemed crazy. I was at the school and receiving 1,100 euros, for me it was Euromillions.”
      But after signing for United he cashed a cool £500,000 signing-on bonus and collected around £22,000-a-week, according to Football Leaks data.
      He revealed how his new-found wealth changed his shopping habits.

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      Bebe could not believe his United salaryCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Bebe added: “In the beginning, maybe you want to buy the things you never had and now you can.
      “See shoes that cost 200 euros and that your grandmother never gave you, but now you can buy them, you can also give one to your brother, you can buy your car.
      “At Christmas, buy a gift for each one or give a gift to someone for their birthday.
      “It’s one of the best things in life: having the chance to have a job that allows you to help your family.”
      The day he received his first Premier League pay packet will live long in the memory…
      Bebe explained: “When I received the envelope for the first salary, I remember turning to the person who was with me, and asking if it was five months’ salary and he said it was a month. I started laughing.
      “I also remember that the first time I went to buy clothes, I went with a friend, we went to Gucci and that person said to me, ‘No, let’s go here to Diesel and Salsa and stuff, it’s more humble.’ 

      “The next month we went to the same shopping centre, this person wanted to go to Diesel and I said, ‘No, come here, let’s buy something from this side’. And we started laughing.”
      Bebe may now be able to afford designer gear thanks to his stint as a Red Devil.
      But his purchase is one that will be forever remembered for all the wrong reasons for those associated with Manchester United.

      Ferguson on his new Bebe More

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      Man Utd’s No7 shirt curse was too big for Sanchez, but can Sancho be the heir to Best, Beckham, Ronaldo and Cantona?

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      JADON SANCHO is on the cusp of a mega-money move to Manchester United… finally.
      The Red Devils, after much negotiation, are set to land the Borussia Dortmund winger – initially tempting him to join with the promise of wearing their hallowed No7 shirt.

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      Jadon Sancho has been earmarked to take the famous No7 shirt at Manchester UnitedCredit: PA:Press Association

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      Sancho could succeed Alexis Sanchez as Man Utds new No7Credit: Getty – Contributor

      Now Sancho is thought to have agreed to a five-year deal worth a staggering £350,000 a week – with United paying £110million when all is said and done.
      But that has not proven a good omen in recent years with the likes of Memphis Depay and Alexis Sanchez crumbling under the pressure of its history.
      For 50 years, the club’s icons bore that shirt with pride, and did it justice.

      But since Cristiano Ronaldo donned it for the final time in 2009, no one has dealt with the burden of expectation.
      Here, SunSport takes a look back at the superstars to wear the hallowed shirt — and the sharp decline in success – starting with the two recent flops.
      ALEXIS SANCHEZ, 2018 TO PRESENT

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      Credit: Getty ImagesAlexis Sanchez failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford

      Success at United

      Appearances – 45
      Goals – 5
      No trophies

      After four glorious seasons with Arsenal, Chilean star Sanchez appeared to be a no brainer when United added him to their ranks for £32m.

      And Robin Van Persie had previously shown that he could adapt from a move from North London.
      However, Sanchez has been a major disappointment – a shadow of the player who ripped defences apart at the Emirates Stadium.
      Just five goals in 45 appearances, he is deemed surplus to requirements – shipped out to Inter Milan on loan this season.
      MEMPHIS DEPAY, 2015-16

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      Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Memphis Depay suffered curse of the Manchester United No7 shirt

      Success at United

      Appearances – 53
      Goals – 7
      No trophies

      Memphis was immediately handed the No7 jersey by Louis van Gaal after signing for £25MILLION from PSV.
      But, despite the hype surrounding his arrival, it was just constant disappointment for the Dutchman, and he left to join Lyon on loan after 12 months, which soon became a permanent deal.
      Depay has rediscovered his form with the French giants, scoring 53 times in 134 games from the wing.
      It’s a better return than the seven in 53 he managed with United.
      GEORGE BEST, 1963-74

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      Credit: Getty Images
      George Best celebrates his goal against Benfica in 1968 European Cup final

      Success at United

      Appearances — 474Goals — 181First Division (2) — 1964-65, 1966-67European Cup — 1968Football Writers’ Player of the Year — 1968Ballon d’Or — 1968Ballon d’Or third place — 1971

      In an era where shirt numbers were not assigned, Best donned it in 141 of his 474 games.
      In 1966, he wore it in what is generally considered his greatest-ever performance, netting twice as United battered the great Benfica 5-1 in Lisbon — and against the  same opponents in the European Cup final two years later.
      Best is considered by many the most naturally gifted footballer to have come out of Britain.
      BRYAN ROBSON — 1981-94

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      Credit: Getty Images
      ‘Captain Marvel’ Bryan Robson was always there when Manchester United needed him

      Success at United

      Appearances — 461Goals — 99Premier League (2) — 1992-93, 1993-94FA Cup (4) — 1982-83, 1984-85, 1989-90League Cup — 1991-92European Cup Winners’ Cup — 1990-91European Super Cup — 1991

      Immediately picked up the No.7 shirt, despite Steve Coppell still being at the club.
      ‘Captain Marvel’ was unlucky to play in a United side which failed to challenge for the title during the 1980s — and is the club’s longest-serving captain, who won 90 England caps.
      A leader whose influence was apparent as his two goals famously helped the Red Devils overturn a 2-0 deficit against Barcelona in one of Old Trafford’s most glorious nights in 1984.
      ERIC CANTONA — 1992-97

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      Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Eric Cantona was the catalyst for Manchester United success in 1990s

      Success at United

      Appearances — 185 Goals — 93Premier League (4) — 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97FA Cup (2) — 1993-94, 1995-96PFA Players’ Player of the Year — 1993-94Football Writers’ Player of the Year — 1995-96Ballon d’Or third place — 1993

      First player to be officially assigned the No7 shirt.
      Cantona was the catalyst, who helped transform United from nearly men to Premier League champions.
      He won the title in four of his five seasons at the club — and the only time he failed to was when he was banned for eight months for kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace fan.
      DAVID BECKHAM — 1992-03

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      David Beckham graduated from No28 to No7Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      Success at United

      Appearances — 394Goals — 85Premier League (6) — 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03FA Cup (2) — 1995-96, 1998-99Champions League — 1998-99Intercontinental Cup — 1999Ballon d’Or runner up — 1999Fifa World Player of the Year runner up — 1999, 2001

      An academy graduate who started off as No28, before moving up through the No.24, No.10 and eventually No.7 shirt when Cantona left.
      Beckham provided vital assists in the Champions League quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in 1999 as United completed an incredible Treble.
      He wore the shirt during his peak years at the club and established himself as the best set-piece taker in world football.
      CRISTIANO RONALDO — 2003-09

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      Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Cristiano Ronaldo was handed No.7 shirt at age of 18 and thrived in it

      Success at United

      Appearances — 292Goals — 118Premier League (3) — 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09FA Cup — 2003-04League Cup (2) — 2005-06, 2008-09Champions League — 2007-08Fifa Club World Cup — 2008Ballon d’Or — 2008Fifa World Player of the Year — 2008Football Writers’ Player of the Year (2) — 2006-07, 2007-08PFA Players’ Player of the Year (2) — 2006-07, 2007-08PFA Players’ Young Player of the Year award — 2006-07Ballon d’Or runner up — 2007, 2009Fifa World Player of the Year runner-up — 2007, 2009

      Replaced Beckham and, at the tender of age of 18, was handed the most prestigious shirt at the club.
      But Ronaldo thrived under the pressure and went from strength-to-strength.
      Won a trophy in all but one season and became United’s fourth Ballon d’Or winner.

      MICHAEL OWEN — 2009-12

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      Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Michael Owen wasn’t the worst player, but never justified No.7 shirt

      Success at United

      Appearances — 52Goals — 17Premier League — 2010-11League Cup — 2009-10

      In the whole of world football, only Lionel Messi would have been fit to fill the huge chasm left behind by Ronaldo in 2009.
      Injury-prone Owen was nearly 30, had just been released by recently-relegated Newcastle and was only signed as back-up after United had missed out on Karim Benzema.
      Highs included a last-gasp derby winner, League Cup final goal and Champions League hat-trick, but never came close to doing the No.7 shirt justice.
      ANTONIO VALENCIA — 2009-19 (No7 for 2012-13 season)

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      Credit: Getty Images
      Antonio Valencia reverted back to No.25 after poor season with No.7 shirt

      Success at United

      Appearances — 339Goals — 25Premier League (2) — 2010-11, 2012-13FA Cup — 2015-16League Cup (2) — 2009-10, 2016-17
      Europa League – 2016-17

      United’s 2011-12 Player of the Year was then handed the No7 shirt after three seasons wearing the No25 — and it was again worn by a right-winger.
      However, while Sir Alex Ferguson led his men to a 13th title, Valencia endured without doubt his worst seasons at the club.
      At the end of the campaign, he requested the No25 shirt again and there was no No7 during David Moyes’ reign.
      ANGEL DI MARIA — 2014-15

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      Credit: Getty Images
      Despite his staggering fee, it was a disastrous spell in Manchester for Angel Di Maria

      Success at United

      Appearances — 32Goals — 4

      United and English football’s then record signing at £59.1million.
      Di Maria arrived from Real Madrid after a man of the match performance in the Champions League final, and initially looked a good signing.
      But his form dipped drastically, and he became a liability. Sold to Paris Saint-Germain after just one season for £44m.

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