Ray Wilkins
Wilkins spent his first six senior seasons at his parent club Chelsea, where he made his name. In his third season at the club, he was handed a captaincy, making him the youngest captain in history of English football with only 19 years of age. At his time at Chelsea, club was relegated twice from Division 1 and on the second occasion in 1979, they were forced to sell him to Manchester United for £800,000, a substantial fee at the time. The intelligent central-midfielder played full five seasons at United, making over 150 appearances for the club. During his time in Manchester he won the FA Cup and the Charity Shield, both in 1983 before he was sold to AC Milan a year later.
Mark Hughes
The Welsh striker made his senior and United debut when he was 20-years-old and remained at the club for two more seasons before being sold to Barcelona. Two unsuccessful campaigns abroad made him return to Old Trafford in 1988, where he produced once again. In his second time in the club which lasted for seven years, he won two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two Charity Shields, League Cup, UEFA Cup and European Supercup. In 1995, Ferguson sold him to Chelsea where he spent three seasons in which he won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup. The United legend played in 467 matches and scored 163 goals in his two spells in the red shirt, which ranks him 9th at all-time goal-scoring list and earning him a top 15 place in all-time appearances list.
Mark Bosnich
Viewed as flop for both Manchester United and Chelsea, Australian goalkeeper played combined of only 31 games for the two. He joined United as a 17-year old-but released only two years later, before United signed him again as a replacement for Schmeichel in 1999. Proclaimed as a “terrible professional” by Ferguson, who released Bosnich for the second time in 2001, he signed for Chelsea where he failed to make a first choice and was eventually banned because of positive drugs test. He is often mentioned as “the worst United goalkeeper of Fergie era” but who earned enough appearances in 1999-2000 season to win a Premier League medal.
Juan Sebastian Veron
The Argentinian was brought as an uncustomary Ferguson big money signing for then record British fee of £28 million from Lazio. Despite undoubted talent and creativity on the ball, midfielder had problems with adaptation to fast English football and injuries, which stopped him from being the key player in the squad hierarchy. Veron did manage to win the Premier League in his second season at United, but he missed the majority of the end and Ferguson decided to cut his losses. His time at Chelsea was even worse. After signing for £15 million in 2003, the first year of Abramovich reign, Veron played only 7 games in his only season at the club and was sent on two loans afterwards, but never returned to England.
Juan Mata
The crafty attacking midfielder signed for the Blues in 2011 as a winger from Valencia, who took the Spaniard ahead of Barcelona. Mata quickly turned into a fan favourite, symbolically representing a new era in which Andre Villas-Boas was supposed to repeat Mourinho’s success. His career at Chelsea was blossoming, having played a key role in winning the FA Cup and Champions League in 2012 and Europa League the following year. Mata won the Chelsea Player of the Year awards in both of his full seasons, but with the re-appointment of Jose Mourinho as a manager in summer of 2013, his club status reduced to a rare substitute. Almost every United fan was grateful that the Portuguese preferred Oscar when Moyes’ signing of the winter transfer window was acquired for 37.1 million! Mata is today’s first choice ‘false winger’, and after going through some tough time during his career in England, he is again producing on the top level.
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