An impatient Sir Alex Ferguson said Carlos Tevez was en route back from Mars. For Manchester United supporters, Montevideo might as well be outside the solar system.
In April 2009, Tevez was into the final months of his United career and returned to Manchester after a humiliating 6-1 defeat with Argentina in Bolivia on Friday evening. A depleted United were playing against Aston Villa on Sunday without the suspended Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic while Rio Ferdinand and Dimitar Berbatov were injured. Lee Martin and Federico Macheda made the bench.
Tevez was due back on Thursday afternoon but touched down 24 hours later. He still started on an afternoon Macheda mimicked Steve Bruce at the Stretford End. A month later, Tevez cupped his ears in front of Ferguson after scoring in the Manchester derby, piqued by United’s refusal to sign him permanently.
