.

Wednesday 20 May 2015

What happens when you win Manchester United's Player of the Year

Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham are among five Manchester United stars to join Real Madrid after being named Player of the Year... so, will David de Gea join them?


  • David de Gea has been named Manchester United's Player of the Year
  • Real Madrid hope to sign De Gea when the transfer window opens
  • Five former United Player of the Year winners have signed for Real Madrid
  • Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gabriel Heinze both moved to the Bernabeu
  • Javier Hernandez is expected to return to Old Trafford after his loan deal


Manchester United fans will be hoping David de Gea chooses not to follow in the footsteps of other Player of the Year winners after he picked up the club's most prestigious award on Tuesday night.
The Spanish goalkeeper, who is pondering a summer move to Real Madrid, would become the sixth player to swap Old Trafford for the Bernabeu after being handed the Sir Matt Busby-shaped trophy.
Here, Sportsmail takes a look at the four former United favourites - and one current one - to have made the move to Spain following success at the club's end of season awards.

Manchester United's David de Gea poses with his Player of the Year award and manager Louis van Gaal

David Beckham (Joined Real Madrid in 2003)
A graduate of United's famous Class of '92, Beckham made his professional debut in April 1995 and went on to establish himself as a key member of Sir Alex Ferguson's all-conquering squad.
He was named the club's Player of the Year in 1997 after helping the Red Devils win the Premier League title and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Beckham was also named PFA Young Player of the Year in the same season and he went on to more success at Old Trafford, most notably winning the treble in 1999.
He remained at the club until 2003 when, after falling out with manager Ferguson, he became Real Madrid's newest Galactico in a £25million deal.





























































David Beckham was Manchester United's Player of the Year in 1997 and join Real Madrid six years later

Ruud van Nistelrooy (Joined Real Madrid in 2006)
After finally completing a move to United in the summer of 2001, Van Nistelrooy enhanced his reputation as one of the world's best finishers by plundering 36 goals in all competitions during his first season.
That form won him the club's Player of the Year award in 2002 and he followed it up with another in 2003 after netting 44 goals to help United to the Premier League title.
The Dutchman enjoyed another three prolific seasons in Manchester but gradually fell out of favour with Ferguson during the 2005-06 campaign.
United sold Van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid in the summer of 2006 for £10.2m and he signed a three-year contract at the Bernabeu. 




Ruud van Nistelrooy joined Real Madrid in 2006 after being named United's Player of the Year twice

Gabriel Heinze (Joined Real Madrid in 2007)
Signed from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2004, Heinze was an instant hit as he slotted seamlessly into Ferguson's back-four.
The Argentine managed 40 appearances in his debut season and impressed sufficiently to be handed the Sir Matt Busby award at the end of the campaign.
Heinze played for United for two more seasons before controversially trying to force through a move to Liverpool after losing his left back place to Patrice Evra.
He was unsuccessful but still completed a move away, joining Real for £8m in the summer of 2007. 
Heinze poses with his Real Madrid shirt after joining the club from Manchester United in the summer of 2007


Cristiano Ronaldo (Joined Real Madrid in 2009)
Ronaldo didn't take long to settle in Manchester after leaving boyhood club Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2003, winning the club's Player of the Year award at the end of his first season.
The Portuguese established himself as one of the very best in the Premier League and helped United win back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009.
Ronaldo was also named the club's Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008, earning himself a place in the hearts of the Old Trafford faithful with stunning performances at home and abroad.
However United were unable to stop Real Madrid making him the world's most expensive player in the summer of 2009 as Los Blancos completed an £80m swoop.

Cristiano Ronaldo sealed an £80million move to Real Madrid in 2009 after becoming one of the world's best

Javier Hernandez (Joined Real Madrid on loan in 2014)
Another player to have won the club's most important award after his first season, Hernandez was tipped for a huge future at United after bagging 20 goals in the 2010-11 campaign.
The little Mexican was voted as the club's best player and he followed it up by netting 13 times in the following season before adding another 18 goals to his tally in 2012-13.
He struggled for regular playing time under David Moyes last season and was deemed surplus to requirements by Louis van Gaal, leading to a temporary move to the Bernabeu.
Hernandez has managed eight goals for Carlo Ancelotti's side this term but he appears likely to return to Old Trafford when his loan deal expires at the end of the season.  

Javier Hernandez was United's Player of the Year in 2011 but he joined Real Madrid on loan last summer


No comments: