While he went on to become one of Manchester United's greatest ever goalscorers, Ruud van Nistelrooy almost missed out on his chance of playing for the club. After suffering a knee ligament injury during a PSV training session, his expected move to Old Trafford was delayed by a year.
The Dutchman's debut campaign with the Reds - where he scored 23 Premier League goals - was the perfect start to his time in England, even if he did miss out on winning the Golden Boot to Arsenal's Thierry Henry. An individual accolade like that would have been a fitting reward for the season the striker enjoyed but his hopes were dashed by his own manager. Sir Alex Ferguson left him out of the final match of the 2000/2001 season.
Ferguson's decision to bench him in the final game of the season, while ruthless and somewhat unnecessary, paid off. The following season, United won the league title, with Van Nistelrooy also claiming the golden boot. He finished with 25 goals in 34 games, scored three hat-tricks and bagged in each of the final eight games of the season as United regained their crown.
