Soccer Portal

Last week, John O'Shea and Wes Brown joined Sunderland, and in the process became the latest players to fly the Old Trafford nest as Sir Alex Ferguson continues his restructuring of the Manchester United playing staff. With the injury-prone Owen Hargreaves bumped off the wage bill, Edwin Van Der Sar,  Paul Scholes and Gary Neville retiring and Darron Gibson possibly heading out the door too, there is a real sense of change at United. Only Ryan Giggs now remains from the famous FA Youth Cup winning team of 1992.

With the likes of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Ashley Young and Federico Macheda expected to play important parts in the Red Devils' season, it seems as though Ferguson is making a concerted effort to focus on young, hungry players in order to lead United in the next decade. But it's too easy to forget those that depart from the Premier League champions. What impact can they have at their new homes?

No regrets

It goes without saying that O'Shea and Brown are by no means the first key squad players that Sir Alex has allowed to leave Old Trafford, and they won't be the last. But the Scot has, by and large in the past, been spot on with his choices. Arguably only Jaap Stam and Cristiano Ronaldo went on to bigger and better things once they parted ways with Ferguson, though Ferguson himself maintains that it is only Stam's departure he regretted. Cases can be made for the global exposure that David Beckham has brought to LA Galaxy, and AC Milan to some extent, for the trophies that Gerard Pique has helped win at Barcelona, and for the increased profile that Giuseppe Rossi has managed to make for himself at Villarreal. But when a player leaves Manchester United, it is usually because Ferguson's incomparable experience at the top level has dictated that that player has either reached the end of his shelf life for the Reds, or simply isn't good enough.

Sure, players have left Manchester United for other Premier League teams, but they have never truly enjoyed the success they did at Old Trafford. The likes of Phil Neville, Alan Smith, Nicky Butt and Louis Saha can be counted in this category, and they will be looked at presently. However, there is no room for sentiment at a club such as United. The pressure that exists on the squad to win trophies year after year means that only those at the top of their game are rewarded with new contracts, and subsequently, their place in the side. It is a testament to the ability and longevity of Ryan Giggs that, at 37, Ferguson still regard the Welshman as an integral part of the United jigsaw.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, it is perhaps a testament to Ferguson's gut instincts that Michael Owen has been handed a new one year deal, albeit on a pay-as-you-play basis. The former Liverpool, Newcastle and Real Madrid man could've so easily been joining Hargreaves on football's scrapheap.

End of the road

So when Sir Alex Ferguson decides to call time on a veteran's career at Old Trafford, it is usually with good reason. Andy Goram and Laurent Blanc will probably testify to that. But that doesn't mean that player's career has to end completely, as Nicky Butt and, less recently, Ronny Johnsen showed. Both have been picked up by Newcastle United on free transfers in recent years and though Johnsen hardly played, Butt became an integral part of the Geordies' squad as they mounted their assault on the Championship title a few years ago. Butt was, in fact, made club captain by Chris Hughton who realised that the experience Butt had was too good to pass up. The midfielder was a member of the Magpies' so-called 'senior committee', and helped United to promotion.

Of course, winning the Championship title does not require the same level of ability as winning the Premier League, and Ferguson's choice was the right one. But the level of discipline, importance of hard work and all-around knowledge of the game that Butt learnt under Sir Alex proved invaluable for Newcastle. If Gary Neville, and Scholes, had not chosen to retire and looked for new clubs at the end of their Old Trafford tenures, it is likely that they would've had the same impact in the coming season for one of the Premier League's lesser lights. Ferguson, perhaps realising this, promptly signed Scholes to a coaching role at United. The ginger maestro will now be passing on his expertise to a new crop of Red Devil starlets - rather than those of another club.

Smudge, Saha and Fizzer

Alan Smith also found a new home at St. James' Park after being deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, and he has also helped benefit the Magpies as they found their way back into the Premier League. Smith didn't enjoy the best of times in Manchester, as Ferguson attempted to mold the striker into a midfielder akin to Roy Keane, and though he never really sparkled at Newcastle, he was certainly seen as a vital part of the team. Now a tough-tackling, if undisciplined, defensive minded player, Smith helped anchor the centre of first Kevin Keegan, then Chris Hughton's, team, allowing for the creative ability of the likes of Kevin Nolan and Jonas Gutierrez to shine through. Smith's battling qualities also made him a perfect fit for the aforementioned 'senior committee' at SJP, though his days may soon be numbered with the emergence of Cheik Tiote.

Louis Saha and Phil Neville decided to head west upon their departures from the embrace of Sir Alex Ferguson and once again, more so in Neville's case, they have continued to flourish despite not sitting at England's top club table. Though Saha has scored goals for David Moyes at Goodison Park, his career has continued to be a somewhat stop-start affair. He has shown flashes of brilliance that persuaded Ferguson to take the Frenchman from Fulham, and scored goals to boot, but injuries have continued to plague the striker. Neville, however, is currently Everton's captain, and has proved to be a fantastic leader for the club.

Again, this has not happened by accident for 'Gary's little brother'. Though never in such a position of importance at Old Trafford, the years that Phil spent on the opposite flank to Gary, and the amount of talented players that he has linked up with over the years, including the enigmatic Portuguese Ronaldo, have not gone unnoticed. As part of the team that won the 1992 FA Youth Cup mentioned at the top of this article, Phil Neville has done it all, and clearly soaked up the requisite knowledge to become a key part of David Moyes' side. With Everton having a tendency to rely on younger players who will no doubt continue to improve, such as Seamus Coleman and Jack Rodwell, Neville's experience gained at Manchester United has been, and will continue to be, a real boon for all involved at Everton.

Black Cats and Red Devils

But for all the help that those ex-Manchester United players have given the likes of Everton and Newcastle, there is one club that is benefiting from the Alex Ferguson seal of approval range more than any other, and that would take us back to the current locations of John O'Shea and Wes Brown. Long thought of as versatile, yet important, squad players who have had Ferguson's loyalty to count on throughout their careers and have each made a significant contribution to the recent history of United, both men now find themselves under the tutelage of Steve Bruce at Sunderland.

Co-incidence? Perhaps not. Though interest was allegedly forthcoming from several other Premier League teams for the pair, with West Brom thought to be one such team, Sir Alex no doubt saw a sure thing when one of his former pupils in Bruce came calling.

Though several of Ferguson's former charges have entered the world of management, names like Paul Ince, Andy Townsend, Roy Keane and Eric Cantona really pale into insignificance when compared with Bruce's position at Sunderland. The Black Cats boss has attempted a major reconstruction of his side so far this summer as he looks to bring European football to the Stadium of Light for the first time, and O'Shea and Brown will no doubt be a major part of that.

But they are not the first recruits Bruce has brought over from Manchester - the Sunderland squad is littered with players that never quite made the grade at Old Trafford. Kieran Richardson, Phil Bardsley, Danny Welbeck, Frazier Campbell - the former Manchester United player is attempting to base success on...well...former Manchester United players. Is it a case of when in Rome? Or will Bruce's foundations fall down around his ears? Time will tell, but though these players were never deemed satisfactory for Sir Alex Ferguson, they still have enough quality to serve a team such as Sunderland well.

The generation game

Steve Bruce has already proved that he observed and learnt whilst playing under Ferguson. The Scot's wisdom has been trickling down to those beneath him for a number of years - now, the shoots of success are beginning to show. With O'Shea and Brown helping to lead the Sunderland dressing room, the multitude of signings Bruce has acquired will helpfully gel quicker than expected, perhaps transitioning into on-pitch success in the process.

Ferguson has set such a marvellous example to those that have coached under, and played for, him. Who knows what the future holds for the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney? Future managers, perhaps? Or will they end their careers helping those less fortunate in football? It may seem a bit insulting to compare the rest of the Premier League to Oxfam and Help The Aged whilst Manchester United reign supreme. England's top league is no charity case. But Sir Alex's generosity may live on in the game for many more years to come.