Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha described the situation surrounding his Old Trafford exit “the worst” and opened up about the conversation he had with Sir Alex Ferguson at the time
Louis Saha says he was forced to leave Manchester United after a frank conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson.
The former France international, now 46, signed for the Red Devils from Fulham – United’s opponents this evening (January 26) – midway through the 2003/04 season for a cool £12.4million. He spent the bulk of the next four-and-a-half years playing second fiddle to the likes of Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez in attack, but still managed to net a healthy 42 goals in 124 appearances – just 76 of which were starts.
The end came for Saha when he sat out the 2008 Champions League final. Two years earlier, he’d fluffed the chance to play in the World Cup final due to suspension, and vowed to never let an opportunity like that slip through his grasp again.
But an ill-timed knee injury took the issue out of the striker’s hands, leaving him devastated. “It was the worst,” Saha told FourFourTwo in 2019. “I’d worked really hard to come back from injury, and I’d also learned from my mistake at the World Cup.”
Saha had started just 10 games all season, and the disappointment of missing the biggest game in club football compelled him to call his United tenure quits. “It was after missing that final that I talked to the manager and said, ‘I need to leave’,” he admitted.
Ferguson told him he wouldn’t stand in his way, and a transfer to Everton was agreed shortly after. Saha says he still holds Sir Alex in high regard, but that the agony of missing the Champions League final still haunts him.
“It took me four or five years to realise how painful it was,” he said. “When I wrote my book, because when I finally tried to explain how it felt, I realised how much damage it did to my confidence.
“It became very religious for me when I missed the Champions League final as well [as the World Cup final]. I thought, ‘Why has God given me these platforms to perform, but then taken it away from me?’ It was the first time I ever cried about football. I couldn’t bear it – I was in pain for two or three weeks.”
Speaking about his Everton switch, he insisted: “It was the right move at the right moment for me. I loved Manchester United – I had a lot of injuries but the manager was always there for me. He taught me to be loyal and have respect. Those things remain within me today.”
Saha enjoyed a fruitful three-and-a-half year spell on Merseyside before briefly joining Tottenham in 2012. The ex-Fulham, Newcastle and Metz forward later played for Sunderland and Lazio before hanging up his boots in 2013.
The official programme cover for Manchester United v Rangers has been revealed, and it is paying tribute to ‘The King’, Denis Law. As well as the cover, there will be special features inside dedicated to the Manchester United and Scotland legend. Copies will be available at Old Trafford on matchday or online.
