5 superstars sold by Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson is arguably one of the best managers in the history of football. There are not many managers who can give the Scottish manager a strong fight when it comes to achievements in the Premier League.

Alex Ferguson took Manchester United to greatness when most people had written him off. He gave the Red Devils recognition on the biggest stage of football. During his reign at United, Alex Ferguson won 38 trophies, winning the Premier League 13 times, the FA Cup five times, and the UEFA Champions League twice.

Sir Alex Ferguson let go of some quality United players

In his 26 years as Manchester United's manager, the Scotsman scarcely made any mistakes. Alex Ferguson was successful because of his ruthless and fearless approach. His man-management skills are fabulous and that has been reflected in how the former players speak highly about him.

That being said, there are a few players who could have done more at Manchester United and helped Alex Ferguson and the team. Due to one reason or the other, they were allowed to leave. Here, we take a look at five such superstars sold by Alex Ferguson:

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#5 Ruud van Nistelrooy

Manchester United v Manchester City

Ruud Van Nistelrooy was a sensation at PSV Eindhoven since he joined them in 1998. In his first two seasons with the PSV, the Dutch striker scored 73 goals in 78 appearances in all competitions for the club.

This attracted interest from Manchester United and Alex Ferguson. Because of Van Nistelrooy's injury problems, the transfer deal was delayed by a year and the Dutchman joined United in the 2001-02 season.

The former PSV striker was a huge success with the Red Devils as he scored 95 goals in 150 appearances in the Premier League. In his five seasons at the club, Van Nistelrooy won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and the Community Shield.

During the 2005-06 season, despite finishing as United's second-highest league scorer with 21 goals, Van Nistelrooy was benched in the League Cup final against Charlton Athletic. He was even benched for United's final league game which added more fuel to the speculation of a rift between the Dutchman and Alex Ferguson. Over time, things escalated and in the summer of 2006, it was confirmed that Van Nistelrooy would be joining Real Madrid.

In his very first season in La Liga, the Dutch striker scored 25 goals in 37 appearances. Being the goal-scoring machine he was, letting him go probably felt like not the right decision by Alex Ferguson. Given the success Manchester United had after Van Nistelrooy's departure, it probably justifies the sale though.

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#4 David Beckham

David Beckham of Manchester Utd

The English midfielder was a product of the Manchester United academy, coming from the elite lot of the Class of 92 players. There is no doubt that David Beckham is arguably one of the best free-kick takers in the history of the game.

Alex Ferguson was quoted as saying that the Englishman practiced his set-pieces with a discipline to achieve an accuracy which most players wouldn't care about. Beckham won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, the UEFA Champions League once and many other accolades during his time at Manchester United.

During his nine seasons with the Red Devils, the English midfielder played 264 matches, scoring 62 goals and registering 81 assists. His presence on the right flank gave great problems to the opposition with his impeccable crosses and superb vision. He was a vital player back then for Manchester United.

The relationship between Alex Ferguson and David Beckham has deteriorated ever since the latter's marriage to Victoria Beckham. The Scotsman was of the opinion that the Englishman's commitment towards the club and his team-mates had drastically changed. Beckham was highly active in the entertainment industry with his personality and eye-catching looks.

Over time, things only worsened between the two, especially after the alleged boot incident. It was rumored that after the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal in the 2002-03 season, Alex Ferguson threw a boot at Beckham out of anger and frustration. The boot hit the midfielder over the eye, for which stitches were required to heal the cut. Ever since then, Beckham was linked with a move away from Old Trafford.

In the summer of 2003, the English midfielder signed for Real Madrid. Although Beckham never achieved the same success he did at Manchester United, a world-class player was let go by Sir Alex Ferguson. This transfer was the ideal representation of the phrase which states that no player is bigger than the club.

#3 Jaap Stam

Sir Alex Ferguson regretted selling Jaap Stam

During Sir Alex Ferguson's era at Manchester United, Jaap Stam was one of the finest defenders. The Dutch defender was signed from PSV Eindhoven for a fee of £10.6 million in 1998, becoming the most expensive defender back then.

The tall centre-back was signed by Alex Ferguson to stabilize the United defense and his impact was seen immediately. With his strong and tall physique, quick pace and ball-playing abilities, Stam had an authoritative presence at the back.

He played an instrumental role in securing the treble in the 1998-99 season. During his time at Manchester United, Stam won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup once and the UEFA Champions League once.

In his autobiography, Stam allegedly expressed his views on opposing players and accused Alex Ferguson's approach of signing him without the consent of PSV. This did not bode down well with the Scottish manager. Stam was eventually sold to Lazio in the 2001-02 season, ending his stint with the Red Devils.

In 2007, Alex Ferguson admitted that selling Stam was one of his mistakes back then. He was of the opinion that he and his team misjudged Stam's performing capacity after he returned from an achilles injury.

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#2 Paul Pogba

Manchester United v West Ham United - Premier League

Paul Pogba is one of the most talented midfielders in the world right now. The Frenchman graduated from Manchester United's academy and was touted to become one of the best midfielders during his youth days with the Red Devils.

Initially, even Alex Ferguson highly regarded Pogba's capabilities. But somehow the Frenchman did not get enough chances at United even when first-choice midfielders were not available. In an interview last year, Pogba stated Alex Ferguson did not trust him in those times.

In 2012, after not signing a new contract, it was confirmed that the French midfielder had joined Juventus. Alex Ferguson then accused Pogba of being disrespectful to the club. Paul Scholes had retired back then and United could have really benefited from the Frenchman's availability.

Pogba went on to become a massive sensation at Juventus. He has scored 28 goals and assisted in 36 others in his 124 appearances in Serie A. It was more than about his goal contributions in Turin. Pogba, with his strength, technical and passing abilities, was at times unstoppable in midfield.

He attracted a lot of interest from top European clubs during his time with the Italian giants but United were successful in bringing back the Frenchman. Manchester United re-signed Pogba in the summer of 2016, for a hefty fee of £89.30 million. Had Alex Ferguson kept the Frenchman back in 2012, Manchester United could've possibly saved the hefty transfer fee.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United v Newcastle United - Premier League

Cristiano Ronaldo impressed Alex Ferguson during his Sporting Lisbon days, especially when Manchester United faced them in August 2003. The Scotsman wasted no time in pushing to sign the young Portuguese back then.

Ronaldo signed for Manchester United in the summer of 2003 and went on to become one of the best players in the world. The forward was a beast of a player for the Red Devils during his first stint. His dribbling skills, combined with pace and goal-scoring abilities, created havoc in the opposition defense.

He played 196 matches in the Premier League in his first stint, scoring 84 goals and recording 34 assists in the process. The former Sporting winger went on to win the Ballon d'Or in 2008 whilst at United. He won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup once with the Red Devils.

Alex Ferguson was like a father figure to Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese, after having spent six seasons at United, wanted to join Real Madrid in 2009. Alex Ferguson did not get in his way and allowed the dashing winger to join Los Blancos for a then world record transfer fee of £80 million.

There was very little Alex Ferguson could do at that moment. After leaving Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo went on to achieve an incredible amount of success with Real Madrid. In the process, he added four more Ballon d'Or awards to his collection.

It would have been lovely had the Portuguese not left back then. In those 12 years away from Manchester United, the former Real Madrid forward has matured into a more experienced and successful player. Ronaldo has now finally returned to Old Trafford this summer and has already scored four goals in three games across all competitions.