Manchester United's worst ever signing was brought in to replace a club hero - but all he did was 'eat everything' and then 'order a Chinese'
17:11, 13 Jan 2026Updated 17:12, 13 Jan 2026
Sir Alex Ferguson
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Sir Alex Ferguson made Man Utd's worst ever signing(Image: )
Manchester United have had quite a few poor signing's in recent years - but not many of them can hold a candle to Old Trafford's worst-ever acquisition.
Sir Alex Ferguson rarely got his transfer dealings wrong at United, but his efforts to replace the legendary Peter Schmeichel became a nightmare. Following Schmeichel's departure from the Treble-winning side, Ferguson faced the daunting task of replacing him.
Unfortunately, Fergie's reputation took a hit when he decided to bring back a former player he seemingly didn't know as well as he thought. Australian shot-stopper Mark Bosnich, who celebrated his 54th birthday on Tuesday, returned to Old Trafford in 1999.
Man Utd manager Sir Alex Ferguson walks out alongside Man Utd goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel for the Treble Reunion friendly match between the Manchester United '99 Legends and FC Bayern Legends at Old Trafford on May 26, 2019 in Manchester, England.
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Sir Alex Ferguson was trying to replace Peter Schmeichel(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images)
He had originally made his senior bow as a teenager in 1990 before departing for Aston Villa when United secured the services of the brilliant Dane. Ferguson chose to bring the divisive keeper back to Manchester without a fee.
Yet Ferguson quickly discovered he'd made a catastrophic error, with Bosnich becoming the first of several goalkeepers recruited in a desperate bid to somehow fill Schmeichel's boots.
Bosnich's second stint at Old Trafford lasted merely two years, with his former manager later branding him a "terrible professional" in his 2013 memoir.
Mark Bosnich in action for Man United
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Mark Bosnich was signed as a replacement for Peter Schmeichel(Image: Getty Images)
In his autobiography, Sir Alex also portrayed the goalkeeper as "tucking into everything" and "going through the menu" during one trip to Wimbledon.
Upon returning to Manchester, Ferguson alleged that Bosnich was "on a mobile phone to a Chinese restaurant to order a takeaway".
Despite Ferguson's grievances, Bosnich still managed to feature in 23 league matches during their title-winning campaign, which they secured by a record-breaking 18 points. Not too shabby for a supposedly "terrible professional".
Even though the goalkeeper had claimed the league crown, Ferguson clearly remained dissatisfied with his behaviour, bringing in World Cup winner Fabien Barthez the following summer. Bosnich would never feature in another first-team match for United.
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Hitting back at Ferguson's criticisms, Bosnich told Fox Sports in 2013: "The fact remains that I was the only player he signed twice at Manchester United.
"In my first season there we won the English Premier League by a record 18 points, and became the first British team to win the World Club Championship".
Bosnich departed United for Chelsea in 2001 on a free transfer as his career began to deteriorate, managing just five appearances for the Blues.