Real Madrid have signed one of the most feared strikers in the English Premier League by taking Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy off Manchester United's hands.
The 30-year-old has tormented English defenders for the past five years and was a particularly painful thorn in the side of old rivals Arsenal before falling foul of manager Alex Ferguson.
Benched by Ferguson in the closing stages of last season in favour of Louis Saha, with the Scot giving "the spirit of the club" as his reason for dropping him for their final game, Van Nistelrooy's days in Manchester were clearly numbered.
It was all a far cry from the scoring exploits, which reached 150 goals for the club and kept United in the upper echelons of English football, bringing them the Premier League title in 2003 and the FA Cup in 2004.
Having established his credentials in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven, scoring an extraordinary 62 goals in 67 games, Van Nistelrooy finally made it to Old Trafford in 2001 after his move had been put on hold for a year due to injury.
He was quick to repay United's 19 million pound ($35.39 million) investment, scoring 36 goals in his first season and following up with 44 the following term as they took the league title.
A cool finisher, Van Nistelrooy showed he has everything to succeed as a striker. Good in the air and strong on the ball, he is also blessed with the rare gift of simply turning up in the right place at the right time.
Yet despite his abilities, the Dutchman has also had his share of controversy.
ARSENAL SPATS
He became a hate figure for Arsenal fans after an incendiary league match at Old Trafford in September 2003, falling theatrically after Patrick Vieira had kicked out at him, triggering a red card for the Arsenal captain.
Van Nistelrooy missed a penalty soon afterwards -- preserving a then fledgling unbeaten run for Arsenal that would only be ended by United the following season -- and was jostled by Arsenal players in an ugly fracas at the end.
Just over a year later, at the same ground with the same sides, Van Nistelrooy's high tackle on Ashley Cole led to a three-match ban and prompted scathing criticism from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Though the Frenchman denied having called Van Nistelrooy a cheat, Wenger was fined for his comments following a game where Arsenal's unbeaten run ended at 49 matches after the Dutchman converted a penalty in United's 2-0 victory.
Five months earlier, another spot-kick had brought Van Nistelrooy the first of two goals he scored in a one-sided FA Cup final win over second division Millwall.
Laid low by injuries in 2004-05, he still managed to find the target domestically and was the Champions League's top scorer for the third time in four seasons.
His once-perfect relationship with Ferguson broke down over the subsequent year though and Real now have a striker with a great pedigree, but few years left in which to make it tell.
© 2024 Rediff.com -