One year after his move to Manchester United had collapsed due to him suffering a knee ligament injury during a training session, Ruud van Nistelrooy finally signed for the Reds. The striker, who joined from PSV Eindhoven ahead of the 2001/02 campaign, had been in electric form for the Dutch side, registering 77 goals in 90 matches. His move to Old Trafford, then, almost guaranteed success.
The Dutchman's first season at the club was remarkable, and proved that United were right to wait for the striker, even after his devastating injury. Van Nistelrooy scored 23 goals in 32 Premier League games, which included him breaking the record he shared with Mark Stein, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry by scoring in eight consecutive league matches. His form was also strong in Europe, too, with the frontman bagging ten Champions League goals. At the end of the campaign, he was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year.
Given his goal record that year, it might come as a surprise to anyone unaware that United actually failed to win the league title that season, and even more surprisingly, their prolific striker didn't even win the golden boot. Van Nistelrooy was one of the most prolific goalscorers in the country during the early 2000s, but there was one major problem - and he played up front for Arsenal.
