A former Manchester United striker has detailed how manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, had broken one of the promises he’d made at the time the player joined the Red Devils.
Dimitar Berbatov’s transfer to the Old Trafford outfit came on a previous deadline day, and the stress of getting the deal over the line prompted the Scot to make a promise which he quickly reneged on.
“Liverpool was (sic) the team we were trying to surpass on league titles when I got to Old Trafford. They had 18, we had 17,” the Bulgarian told the official Man United website, and reported by the Daily Star.
“Sir Alex was with me when we were finalising the transfer and it was so last minute, so worrying that it was happening so late, that he said: ‘Berba, I know it’s stressful, what you’re going through, but, when we finish this, I promise you can have a week’s break so you can get yourself together.’
“Okay, that works. As soon as I signed, it was: ‘Okay, get ready. Next game is Liverpool.’ In my head, I’m like: ‘Where’s my one-week break?!’”
It’s fair to say that Sir Alex wasn’t a man you went up against if you valued your career with the Red Devils, let alone if you’d only just joined the club. It’s not clear whether Berbatov eventually got his week off or not either.
The striker did go on to become a real asset for United, making the stress of the deadline day move from Tottenham Hotspur all the more worthwhile.
The path from north London to Manchester isn’t necessarily a well trodden one, but current Spurs No.9, Harry Kane, could be about to follow in Berbatov’s footsteps too if a recent report in the Daily Mail is to be believed.