Manchester United face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday night and will have an ex-PSV man in their ranks – so who are all the men who’ve made the move from the Phillips Stadium to Old Trafford, and what did they achieve in Manchester?
1) Jaap Stam – £10.6 million – 1998
“Yip Jaap Stam is a big Dutchman” is a chant which is still firmly in the Stretford End’s repertoire. The towering Dutch centre-back was a fantastic acquisition and a fan favourite. He won the Premier League three times, the Champions League once and the FA Cup once in his time at United, being absolutely pivotal to the side that won the treble in 1999 in amongst that. He worked as a scout for the club from 2008-11 as well. What a man.
2) Ruud van Nistelrooy – £19 million – 2001
Three years after Stam swapped PSV for United, Ruud van Nistelrooy did the same thing. Ruud scored 150 goals for the Red Devils, picking up one of each of the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup before moving to Real Madrid. He also was the man who put an end to Arsenal’s famous 49-game unbeaten run. He left on bad terms after falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson but the fans will always love the prolific striker.
3) Ji-Sung Park – £4 million – 2005
“Three Lung Park”, as he was affectionately named, was yet another fan favourite to move from the Netherlands to Manchester. His tireless work-rate, tidy passing and tendency to show up in massive games won him one Champions League medal, the Club World Cup, four Premier League titles and three League Cups. Easily the best South-Korean footballer in history and a man who loved the club so much that he now works at old Trafford as an ambassador.
4) Memphis Depay – £22 million – 2015
Well, we’re unable to tell you how the story of Memphis’ United career will read, but it should be in a similar vein to the other three players in this list. He’s got the potential to be mercurial – he’s United through and through in terms of style of play. Memphis may not be setting the Premier League alight but he was rampant against Club Brugge in the Champions League play-offs and will be out to impress on Tuesday night when he returns to the stadium in which he played so well in a PSV shirt last season. Watch this space!
