Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Man Utd fans shocked as Sir Alex forgets to add this club legend to 'world class' players
MANCHESTER UNITED fans have expressed their surprise over Sir Alex Ferguson's revelation that he only managed "four world class players".
Ruud van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals for Manchester United
In his new book, Leading, the former Old Trafford boss earmarked just a handful of Premier League and Champions League winners to fall under the tagline.
Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo fit the Scot's view of the very best in world football.
But supporters both of United and other clubs took to Twitter to share their views, with Ruud van Nistelrooy a particularly prominent name that many thought should be added to the prestigious list.
Ou forget Van Nistelrooy sometimes. You shouldn't. Honestly, put him in any other Fergie team and he'd have won the Champions league.
— Neale Christy (@p1zza_face) September 22, 2015
Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Than name brought shivers
— Fluorine (@el_Adebayor) September 22, 2015
Also van Nistelrooy, one of the deadliest strikers in his time at United. Rooney made the World XI in 2011. Beckham, you can't leave him out
— Aleksi Paakkinen (@mufcAleksi) September 22, 2015
Fergie never had good relationship with some of his key men + he fell out with some later. Even van Nistelrooy was the real deal back then
— Begovicci (@TheBlueGem) September 22, 2015
SAF didn't even mention Rooney and Nistelrooy.
— Basheer Kayode Jnr (@kida_tunechie01) September 22, 2015
Dutchman Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for United, sitting 11th on the club's all-time top scorer charts.
Giggs (168) and Scholes (155) sit above the former striker, with current captain Wayne Rooney third on the list with 233 goals.
But Rooney was not mentioned by Sir Alex either, much to some fans' dismay, although others agreed.
It didn't end well between SAF and Becks, Keane and Rooney. None of them are world class according to Sir Alex, a bitter man?
— MerlinUnited (@MerlinUnited) September 22, 2015
I, as a gooner I think leaving out Wayne Rooney on his list of World Class players he has managed Fergy is just being petulant and grotesque
— Bada-Boom (@bmusonza) September 22, 2015
Nothing wrong in anything Fergie said or did..bottomline,he still doesnt rate Rooney as world class..top class - maybe
— Bants-a-maker Dante™ (@ThaNephilim) September 22, 2015
Fergie not mentioning Wayne Rooney in 'his' world class players says it all, really.
— smaldini• (@Shehroze_MUFC) September 22, 2015
However, other supporters were more realistic about the list.
Rooney isn't world class according to SAF...I kinda agree with him
— EDO ? (@Oyakhilome_) September 22, 2015
Anyone slating SAF for not naming their fave as world class is an idiot. There have been amazing @ManUtd players but he can't name them all
— Selena (@MancSel) September 22, 2015
SAF's really short list of World class players who played under him (Cantona Giggs Scholes Ronaldo) only shows his standards are so high.
— Mukund' (@ScholesLegacy) September 22, 2015
SAF's definition of a world class player is very different to what we think, the guy is perfectionist...
— Virinchi ? (@Vthota111) September 22, 2015