ERIC CANTONA v LEEDS UNITED (H) – 28 December 1996
Halfway via the next season, Cantona – by now put in as membership captain after Bruce’s departure – needed to really feel round for his high type at occasions, however nonetheless thrived towards Leeds residence and away. After netting the Reds’ fourth in a 4-0 Elland Street stroll, the Frenchman haunted his outdated facet as soon as once more at Previous Trafford, escaping man-marker Lucas Radebe and releasing Ryan Giggs to win a penalty inside 10 minutes, then coolly changing his effort on the Stretford Finish for the sport’s solely objective. “United followers roared his identify as if it was a battle cry to strike worry into their bitter rivals,” wrote the Each day Mirror’s David Barnes. “And, certain sufficient, Cantona was on the coronary heart of a scrappy sport’s most decisive piece of motion.
GARY NEVILLE v LEICESTER CITY (H) – 13 April 2004
As United stuttered in direction of the shut of the 2003/04 marketing campaign, struggling to maintain sight of champions-elect Arsenal, Sir Alex Ferguson’s evolving facet had been creating the knack of grinding out slim victories. A 1-0 win over Leicester Metropolis at Previous Trafford was hardly exceptional, however for the match-winning contribution from unlikely hero Gary Neville. Sporting the armband within the absence of Keane, the right-back broke the impasse 11 minutes into the second interval in crisp style. Cristiano Ronaldo’s cross-shot from the left was skewed away from objective by Leicester’s panicked ranks and, as Diego Forlan and David Bellion writhed within the melee, Neville took cost, sprinted into the combo and rattled the free ball into the again of the online. Ferguson duly smiled: “He at all times scores one objective a 12 months!”
ROY KEANE v LEEDS UNITED (A) – 18 October 2003
“Roy Keane simply saved going and appeared as match as anyone,” lamented Leeds supervisor Peter Reid, having seen his facet fall on the final towards a United facet dragged previous the publish by their skipper. Regardless of controlling issues at Elland Street for almost all of the sport, the Reds entered the ultimate 10 minutes with the sport nonetheless goalless. That’s, till Ruud van Nistelrooy pinched possession and fed Gary Neville, who arced an impressive cross in direction of the again publish. There, arriving in devastating style, was 32-year-old Keane, who dispatched an unstoppable downward header and despatched the travelling pocket of United supporters wild with delight. As Mail on Sunday journalist Steve Curry put it: “The captain is re-energised, simply when creaking hips and battered knees had appeared to be taking a heavy toll. This was the outdated swashbuckling Keane, main by instance.”
