The Glazer family completed their controversial takeover of Manchester United exactly 20 years ago – but how did their first handful of signings at the club work out?
It’s been 20 years since the Glazer family took the reins at Manchester United. The takeover in May 2005 sparked protests from around 300 United fans outside Old Trafford, and even led to Bobby Charlton issuing a public apology to the owners for their frosty welcome.
Fast forward to 2025, and the family has splashed out more than £2billion on transfers in a bid to secure Premier League and Champions League success, yet they continue to be a bone of contention among the United faithful.
Despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS acquiring a minority stake in the club last February, with aspirations of injecting new life into the club by taking over football operations, there’s been little improvement on the pitch.
United ended up in eighth place in the 2023/24 season under Erik ten Hag, despite board support, and this season looks set to be even worse with a record low Premier League position looming.
More investment is definitely needed in the upcoming summer transfer window if the board hopes to turn things around under latest manager Ruben Amorim, but it hasn’t always been doom and gloom in the north west.
In fact, some of the first signings made under the new era at Old Trafford went on to have stellar careers with the Red Devils under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Edwin van der Sar – £2m
After a four-year stint with Fulham, Edwin van der Sar made his move to United in June 2005 for a reported £2m. The goalkeeper quickly found his footing at Old Trafford, playing every minute of his debut season across all competitions, totalling 51 games, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Van der Sar was instrumental in helping United clinch the Premier League title in the 2006/07 season, and followed it up with a league, Community Shield, and Champions League treble the next year – showcasing his skills particularly during a nail-biting European final penalty shootout against Chelsea.
With four Premier League titles to his name, Van der Sar bid farewell to United in 2011, having made 266 appearances in total. He left as the club’s best goalkeeper since Peter Schmeichel’s departure in 1999.
In his post-playing career, Van der Sar became Ajax’s marketing director in 2012 before being promoted in late 2016 to the role of CEO. But in May 2023, he resigned from his post.
Ji-sung Park – £4m
Just a month after Van der Sar’s arrival in the north west, the Red Devils secured the signing of Ji-sung Park from PSV for £4m. The midfielder’s transfer marked him as only the second Asian player to sign for the club, following Dong Fangzhuo in 2004.
Although Park didn’t score as many goals as fans had anticipated, he was a key part of Ferguson’s squad and featured in 45 matches in his first season. Despite his second year being marred by injury, he still managed to secure a Premier League winners’ medal after netting five goals in 14 games.
He was also part of the team that clinched the 2008 Champions League title, although he was left out of the squad for the final by Ferguson in a tough call. Park’s most fruitful season came in 2010/11 when he netted eight goals in 28 matches before moving to QPR at the end of the season. He retired after returning to former club PSV Eindhoven for the 2013/14 season.
Park completed his coaching badges as he took charge of QPR’s Under-16 side as part of his coaching B license. After leaving the west Londoners, Park joined K League 1 side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors as their technical director in 2022. There, he appointed ex-Chelsea star Dan Petrescu as manager, but the Romanian’s time in charge didn’t last long as he resigned mid-season.
Park then became an advisor at the club, who opted for another former Chelsea man in the form of Gus Poyet, as he was announced as manager last year.
Ben Foster – £1m
Ferguson spotted Ben Foster while he was playing for Wrexham in the Football League Trophy final and snapped him up for United for £1m in July 2005. However, his stay in Manchester was short-lived as he was loaned out to Watford to gain some much-needed experience.
He spent two years at Vicarage Road, making 81 appearances before returning to his parent club in summer 2007. A cruciate ligament injury sidelined him for about six months, but Foster finally made his United debut in March 2008.
Sadly, he didn’t play another first-team game for the rest of the season. After featuring in a total of 23 games for the club and even winning the League Cup with United twice, Foster moved to Birmingham City on a permanent deal in 2010.
Since retiring from the game after a short spell with Wrexham, the 42-year-old has put plenty of effort and time into his popular podcast, Fozcast.
Nemanja Vidic – £7m
Nemanja Vidic joined the Red Devils in January 2006 in a £7m deal from Spartak Moscow. Ferguson threw him straight into the mix, with his debut coming in a League Cup semi-final second-leg match against Blackburn.
The centre-back had a rocky start, in and out of the team for his first six months, before forming a formidable partnership with Rio Ferdinand ahead of the 2006/07 season. This duo has since been hailed as one of football’s most iconic pairings.
Vidic played a key role in United’s Champions League victory in 2008, and also bagged five Premier League titles during his tenure at the club. After making 300 appearances for the Red Devils, Vidic bid farewell to United at the end of the 2013/14 season, having netted 21 goals – an impressive tally for a central defender.
After leaving United, 18 months on the books at Inter Milan followed, before he hung up his boots for good following a string of injury problems that eventually saw his contract terminated by mutual consent.
Patrice Evra – £5.5m
Torn between Inter Milan and United, Patrice Evra eventually chose a move to England for £5.5m in January 2006. However, the French full-back initially struggled to adapt to the English game.
Despite early hiccups, Evra managed to iron out his mistakes and became a vital part of the United squad, ending his first season with 14 appearances under his belt. Although he wasn’t a regular starter in the 2007/08 season, he still contributed significantly to United’s Premier League title win and soon became a mainstay in the team.
Evra waved goodbye to Manchester United for Juventus in 2014, boasting 10 major honours and 379 appearances to his name. In his retirement, Evra has dipped in and out of punditry work for the likes of Sky Sports.
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