“I would’ve done anything to keep him” - When Sir Alex Ferguson admired Cristiano Ronaldo’s ex-Manchester United teammate with just 7 appearances
Legendary Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson once claimed that he 'would've done anything' to keep former Swedish striker Henrik Larsson at the club after the expiration of his loan. The 52-year-old spent just one season at Old Trafford, alongside a 22-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and a 21-year-old Wayne Rooney in attack.
Larsson spent just three months on loan at United (January to March 2007) from Swedish side Helsingborgs IF. The Swedish top flight, Allsvenskan, was in its off-season at the time, allowing the forward to make the move without missing any games for his parent side.
Speaking to the media after his arrival, Sir Alex said (via Manchester Evening News):
"I have always admired him. I made a move for him when he was at Celtic but then they managed to persuade him to stay. He is a great player. It is a terrific bit of business for us."
Larsson scored on his Red Devils debut, a 2-1 win over Aston Villa in the third round of the 2006-07 FA Cup. Overall, he made 13 appearances under Sir Alex, scoring three times.
United were keen on extending the marksman's stay in the Premier League, but he had promised his family and club that he would return to Sweden in March 2007. Speaking of Larsson's short-lived but exciting spell at Old Trafford after his departure, Sir Alex said:
"He's been fantastic for us, his professionalism, his attitude, everything he's done has been excellent. We would love him to stay but, obviously, he has made his promise to his family and Helsingborg and I think we should respect that but I would've done anything to keep him."
After leaving Manchester United, Larsson played in Helsingborg for two more years before hanging up his boots in 2009.
"He seemed a bit of a cult figure" - Sir Alex Ferguson makes claim about Henrik Larsson's loan spell at Manchester United
Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson once claimed that ex-Swedish striker Henrik Larsson had earned 'cult figure' status at the club.
Although a then-35-year-old Larsson only spent three months on loan at Old Trafford, he endeared himself to Sir Alex and his teammates alike. Detailing the qualities that he admired in Larsson, the 82-year-old Scotsman, in his second autobiography, wrote (via Sport Bible):
"On arrival at United, he seemed a bit of a cult figure with our players. They would say his name in awed tones. For a man of 35 years of age, his receptiveness to information on the coaching side was amazing. At every session he was rapt. He wanted to listen to Carlos (Queiroz, United assistant coach), the tactics lectures; he was into every nuance of what we did."
Besides Manchester United, Larsson also played for top European sides like Barcelona, Celtic and Feyenoord. He was also named Sweden's Footballer Of The Year twice in his career (1998, 2004).