Henrik Larsson has given an insight into his memorable loan move from Helsingborgs IF to Manchester United in 2007.
The legendary Swedish forward enjoyed trophy-laden spells at Celtic and Barcelona - winning the European Golden Shoe and a UEFA Champions League in the early 2000s - and while he played just 13 games for the Man Utd, his loan to the club is one of the most fondly remembered parts of his career.
Speaking to the UTD Podcast, Larsson discussed the move and how he was delighted to be given another opportunity to play for the Red Devils, having turned down their advances in 1999.
"[United tried to sign me] back in... it could be 1999, I’m not sure. I was just happy Sir Alex called me because I’d said no to United before," he recalled.
"I think that Sir Alex is one of, if not the greatest manager of all time in the game and being able to play for him and that team, the club, is something that I couldn’t resist when I was I think 35 at the time.
"To get the opportunity to go there and see if I could do something or not was just too big to resist. To be honest, Manchester [United] is a great club.”
Larsson also talked about scoring against Aston Villa on his United debut, stating that he 'had a feeling' he'd score that day.
"It’s a funny old game. I always had a feeling that I would get a goal in that game, and to be honest I should have scored another two in the first half really.
"It was just the first game. I wanted to show myself so much that I maybe went in a little bit too much into the game. I should have had a little bit more calmness. In the end I managed to score a goal and was really happy. There’s nothing better than scoring a goal on your debut."
Source : 90min