When asked to choose the greatest three signings made by Manchester United during his tenure as CEO, David Gill drew some criticism, especially as he failed to include Cristiano Ronaldo.
After becoming as one of the greatest players in the world at Old Trafford, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was transferred to Real Madrid for £80 million, making him the most expensive player in history at the time.
However, Gill, who joined United in 1997 and served as CEO from 2003 to 2013, chose to ignore the Portuguese sensation when it came to the most successful signings made during his tenure.
The first player that Gill named was Wayne Rooney, who went on to become Man United’s all time top goal scorer.
“Wayne, in terms of what he did for the club,” Gill told Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE YouTube channel.
Rooney was one of the best players in the Sir Alex Ferguson era. The striker scored 253 goals in 559 appearances across his 13-year spell at Old Trafford.
The second player that Gill named was former midfielder Michael Carrick. After joining the club from Tottenham, Carrick became a crucial part of the United team.
“I would say Michael Carrick for what he brought in terms of all that.”
He decided to choose two players for the third position. “And the third I would say, well I can have two. There’s a lot. [Nemanja] Vidic and [Patrice] Evra.”
He added: “But I think in terms of the importance to the club, one of the most important ones was Edwin. We struggled to replace Peter (Schmeichel) and then we went out and got Edwin and he was great for us.”
Although Ronaldo’s move was not taken into account by Gill in his list, it should be remembered that the Portuguese player first joined the team one month prior to his official appointment as CEO.
David Gill himself is one of the best acquisitions Manchester United has ever had.