David de Gea recently became the latest in a long line of legendary figures to depart Manchester United.
After failing to come to an agreement over a new contract at Old Trafford, the Spaniard announced earlier this week that he was leaving the club after a hugely successful 12-year stint. It was an announcement that took some supporters aback, with some feeling they had been deprived of the chance to say goodbye to De Gea properly.
It is a position that the Red Devils’ faithful have been in before with a number of iconic players being dealt a sudden exit. Here Mirror Football has taken a look at a few other examples from down the years...
Lee Sharpe
A product of the Man United academy, Sharpe had a hugely successful eight-year spell in the first team at Old Trafford. In that time, he won the Premier League on three occasions, whilst he also won the FA Cup twice, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
However, he made what was then a club record move to fierce rivals Leeds United in 1996. The reason behind his move has since been revealed that he had grown tired of Sir Alex Ferguson’s approach to management.
He has taken aim at the the Scot on a number of occasions since, whilst his stint with Leeds was hampered by injuries.
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Jaap Stam
Another hugely successful career at Old Trafford, and another questionable exit. The Dutchman lifted a whole host of trophies as a Red Devil and established himself as one of the best defenders in world football during his time with United.
After three years in Manchester, Stam was moved out of the club with a move to Serie A giants Lazio on the back of him releasing an autobiography which included details from life inside the United camp. Supporters were still left scratching their heads at the decision to sell, whilst Ferguson suggested that he was not up to the level required any more.
Since then, the legendary United boss has revealed that the call to allow him to leave was a mistake. Stam enjoyed another seven seasons of football until his retirement in 2008.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
From one Dutchman to another, former striker Van Nistelrooy was a hugely prolific marksman at Old Trafford. He scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for the Red Devils.
However, his stint at United ended on a bit of a sour note. Sir Alex made the decision to leave Van Nistelrooy out of the side for the 2006 League Cup final against Wigan in favour of Louis Saha.
That was the final straw for Van Nistelrooy who later sealed a shock move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, but only after storming out of Old Trafford on the final day of the season after left out of the squad completely. Despite the acrimonious circumstances in which his Old Trafford career ended, the Dutchman attempted to smooth things over with his former manager just a year later.
David Beckham
One of the most successful players to graduate from the Red Devils’ academy, David Beckham became an Old Trafford hero during his time at Old Trafford. However, it wasn’t always such plain sailing for the former England captain.
The situation came to a head in February 2003 after Beckham was hit by a stray boot kicked by Sir Alex in the United dressing room, producing a cut above his eye. That led to plenty of speculation that he would soon be leaving the club.
He did just that in the 2003 summer transfer window with a switch to Real Madrid as he became one of a series of Galactico signings in the Spanish capital. Beckham's relationship with Fergie was fractured by the episode, but they have since cleared the air.
Roy Keane
Roy Keane's relationship with Ferguson suffered a similar fate after Beckham's difficult exit. Since arriving from Nottingham Forest, Keane had played a crucial role in what was one of the most successful spells in the club’s history.
The former United captain surprisingly left Old Trafford in November 2005. He had been out of the team for an extended period due to injury.
However, his relationship with club management and his fellow players quickly soured when he took part in an explosive interview on the club’s official TV channel and didn't hold back with his criticism. Keane eventually came to an agreement with Ferguson that he would leave the club and his contract was terminated.
Cristiano Ronaldo
One of the more recent examples of players leaving the club under bitter circumstances, Ronaldo potentially went further than anyone else. The Portuguese forward had enjoyed an emotional reunion with the Red Devils just 18 months earlier.
He never appeared comfortable back at Old Trafford though, with a number of reports suggesting that he wanted to leave. He confirmed those rumours in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.
That led to the Red Devils to cancel the remainder of his contract, with Ronaldo pursuing a move to Saudi outfit Al-Nassr. United fans did not have a chance to say goodbye for the second time, although Ronaldo might well be thankful for that.
