The forgotten legends of football - Bryan Robson

Slowly, though, age and injuries were taking their toll. His fitness restricted his number of appearances, and with 38 appearances, the 1991-92 season was the last he played as a regular first team player. The biggest disappointment of his career for Robson was being overhauled by rivals Leeds and losing the final Division One title. Despite competition from the likes of Kanichelkis, Phelan and Lee Sharpe, Robson still was United captain. His pace, though, was wearing away and his legendary stamina was starting to fade. While the mind was as sharp as ever, the body was getting slower. He did lift the Premier League for two seasons in a row and the inaugural Premier League win was one of the best moments in United’s history. They had won it after 25 years, and the fact that their best player in the last decade was the man lifting it, made it all the more sweet.

But like every romance, this one too had to come to an end. When squad numbers came out for the 1993-94 season, Robson’s favorite number ‘7’ jersey was handed to Cantona. Captain Marvel was restricted to mere substitute appearances, and at the end of the season, after scoring 99 goals in 461 appearances, he left for Middlesbrough as a player-manager. But his effect was more far reaching than goals. He was the spine of a team looking to recapture its glory days. He was the leader of a team that delivered success to the Stretford End. He was, in true sense, a complete leader.

He had a short career as manager of various teams, and the best of it was at Middlesbrough. He got them to three cup finals, and even though Middlesbrough was relegated, the board kept his trust in him and Middlesbrough came back up the very next season. He had a string of forgettable jobs as manager, and wisely retired. Robson now serves as an ambassador for Manchester United.

While there have been other greats at Old Trafford, there have been none like him. Be it the late winner, the defence splitting pass, the crunching tackle to stop a counter-attack, a lunging header that was impossible to attempt or a fearless block to a stinging shot, Robson has done it all. For the national team, he made 90 appearances and captained the team in 65 of those. While his England career left a sense of what might have been, his United career is his everlasting legacy to the game. He did not have a mercurial game like Cantona, he did not have the striking prowess of Hughes, did not have the temper of Keane, neither did he have Scholes’ eye for a pass. He was a mixture of all of them and that is what makes him Captain Marvel. My deepest tribute to the best Manchester United player no one remembers.

You can read about other legends of football as well.

Duncan Edwards

Jurgen Klinsmann

Jose Luis Chilavert