There was no fairytale Old Trafford return for David Beckham 16 years ago when Wayne Rooney inspired Manchester United to a comfortable win over Italian giants AC Milan in the Champions League.
After reaching the Champions League final in 2009, questions were asked of Manchester United about how they would perform in their first season following the £80 million sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, plus the departure of Carlos Tevez.
The 2009/10 season saw United come second in the Premier League, but they did manage to win one trophy by retaining the League Cup following a 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
Even though United didn’t win the league title or Champions League, there were still results that will be fondly remembered by United fans.
Sir Alex Ferguson won TWO Champions League titles in 1999 and 2008, but had several near-misses…
… which Champions League run under Fergie was the ONE THAT GOT AWAY for you?
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Wayne Rooney celebrates in front of Ronaldinho
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Manchester United 4-0 AC Milan (aggregate 7-2)
AC Milan have proved to be one of United’s toughest opponents in Europe, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s side got the better of the Italian giants in 2010.
The first leg took place at the famous San Siro, when David Beckham lined up for La Rossoneri.
United had to regroup after Ronaldinho’s opener as Paul Scholes scored the equaliser from a mishit volley. Two headers from Wayne Rooney gave United a 3-1 lead, before Clarence Seedorf pulled one back to keep Milan in the tie.
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In the second leg, United were at their best with a deserved 4-0 win to secure a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Rooney inspired the victory by scoring a goal in each half to take his tally for the season to 30. Gary Neville provided the first with a cross Beckham would have been proud of, while Nani set him up to complete the brace.
Ji-sung Park and Darren Fletcher added to United’s lead in the second half to complete the win.
United were knocked out in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich.
We all remember who scored the goals in 1999, but can you recall who had United’s first shot on target in the Champions League Final?
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What did David Beckham say after his return to Old Trafford in 2010?
Beckham didn’t start the second leg on his eagerly awaited return to Old Trafford, but he did come off the bench after the hour mark.
His introduction in the second half triggered a standing ovation from the Old Trafford faithful before forcing Edwin van der Sar into a save with a volley.
United fans gave Beckham a warm reception on the night, and he was seen leaving the pitch at full-time draped in a green and gold scarf, which was worn by many fans at the time in protest against the Glazer family.
Speaking after the match, Beckham distanced himself from the anti-Glazer campaign. He said (via The Guardian): “I’m a Manchester United fan and when I saw the scarf I wanted to put it round my neck.
“It’s the old colours of United but, to be honest, it’s not my business. I’m a United fan and I support the club. I always will, but it’s got nothing to do with me how it’s run. That’s all to do with other people.
“I just support the team. I will always support the team.”
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