It was never going to be easy for any player to replace Roy Keane at Manchester United. The Irishman was about to turn 32, which in football terms was a lot older then than it is now, so it made sense that Sir Alex Ferguson was actively looking for his eventual successor. The Reds had been linked with a host of midfielders, but it was Eric Djemba-Djemba who signed for the club in the summer of 2003.
At the time, the 23-year-old, in the words of Ferguson, had all the qualities necessary to become a star at Old Trafford. He was part of the Cameroon squad that qualified for the World Cup and won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2002. He had a good pedigree and was expected to be part of the United midfield for many years to come.
Upon Djemba-Djemba's arrival at Old Trafford, Ferguson said: "Eric is a young player we've watched throughout the season, and he's impressed us each time with his understanding of the game. He's quick, aggressive and a good passer of the ball, and is the kind of athletic footballer we are looking for. In the last few months he has shown his development playing in a very good Cameroon team, and he looks like a Manchester United player in every sense."
