Dimitar Berbatov was extremely captivating and entertaining. The Bulgarian striker was incredibly gifted and, in many ways, unlike any other forward that was playing in England when he was at his peak. As a frontman, he was completely unique.
He signed for Manchester United from Tottenham Hotspur in September 2008, costing the Reds £30.75million. The London club had also accepted a bid from Manchester City, but Berbatov, after signing a four-year deal with United, claimed that he "would not even have thought about Manchester City".
The Bulgarian made a strong start to life at Old Trafford, registering 14 goals and 11 assists in his debut campaign with the Reds. He was expected to kick on and thrive, but the following season proved more difficult for Berbatov - despite the player recording similar statistics to the previous term. There was, for a brief period, speculation that he could even leave the club, but Sir Alex Ferguson quickly rubbished such claims.
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Berbatov, as many expected him to, would ultimately go on and prove his worth. The Bulgarian enjoyed a prolific 2010/11 campaign, scoring 20 times in the Premier League. His strong showings saw him named in the PFA Team of the Year, with the forward featuring alongside Carlos Tevez, whom he shared the Premier League Golden Boot award with.
Despite his impressive form in the top flight, the striker had not managed to find the back of the net in his seven appearances in Europe that season. His sole assist in the Champions League that campaign came in the semi-final second-leg victory over German outfit Schalke.
Although his performances in the Champions League were below the standards he had set in the Premier League, Berbatov, and the majority of the club's fanbase, still expected him to start against Barcelona in the 2011 final. United had a strong side and impressive strength in depth, but with a clash against the Catalan giants to come, Ferguson's side were going to need a near-perfect performance.
Prior to the game, it was confirmed that Berbatov had been left out of the Reds' squad for the final against Barcelona. It was a shock, and no one - even the man himself - saw it coming. Ferguson had opted to start with Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez in attack, with Michael Owen on the bench.
United lost the showpiece event 3-1. While it would be wrong to suggest that the defeat occurred purely due to Berbatov's absence, there was - and still is - a feeling that he could have made a difference - even if that was from the bench. To make things worse, Owen didn't even make it onto the field.
"It was just before the game, he called me and said 'Berbs, it's killing me, but I need to leave you out'," Berbatov told talkSPORT in 2020. "So it was like that and it was painful to hear that because I was a goalscorer of the team and of the Premier League.
"I was surprised because I felt so confident if I can shoot from somewhere, it's going to go in. So that was a surprise for me, but in the end, it was like that."
He added: "It was difficult to take. It was not pleasant, it was not good for me because as I was the leading goalscorer of my team and the league and I was so confident. When you’re scoring goals you feel that you can shoot from anywhere and score, so to be left out, it didn’t feel right.
"Then as time goes past you start to look back and try to understand the decision. I know it was not only me, and other players in the team were in the same position in that particular final, and sometimes sacrifices needed to be made and the job of the manager is not easy.
"I can see how it was difficult for Sir Alex to tell me that news, and in the end, I still think it wasn’t the right decision, but it’s in the past. When you grow up and you start to see things from a different perspective you can still not agree with the decision because it was not the right one, in my opinion, but from the manager’s point of view, it wasn’t easy for him to choose what to play.
"Maybe one day when I’m a manager I will have to do exactly the same thing to someone else, so it’s in the past."
During an interview with The Guardian, also in 2020, Berbatov admitted that he had forgiven Ferguson for snubbing him in 2011. The Bulgarian suggested that there was nothing to actually forgive, while claiming that he was, eventually, able to understand the decision made by the manager.
"Our relationship is good," Berbatov said. "There's nothing to forgive him for. I've never had any bad feelings, I was just disappointed [with his decision]. At first, I reacted impulsively and was really upset. But then, as time goes by, you start to realise what that decision was about.
"Having said that, if I could play any game again it would be that one, the 2011 Champions League final against Barcelona. That season I was United's top scorer and I finished as top scorer in the Premier League as well. I was in great form and I had the feeling I would score every time I took a shot. I think I could have helped the team in that game."
Ferguson, meanwhile, has spoken in the past about his regret at having to drop Berbatov, and in an interview with MUTV, he said: "At Wembley, I dropped Dimitar Berbatov and he took it badly.
"He didn't deserve it. No player deserves to be left out of the final. That's why we try hard at these European seminars with the coaches to try to get 11 subs in the final."
The fallout from the defeat to Barcelona saw a lot of questions asked. Ferguson, clearly, got very few decisions wrong during his time at Old Trafford, but there is a general consensus that Berbatov should have at least been in the matchday squad for the game against the Spanish side.
For Berbatov, he was unable to reach the heights he had set in previous campaigns in the years that followed, with the Bulgarian beginning to struggle to consistently get on the scoresheet. So when the forward was linked with a move to Bayern Munich in 2012, it came as a surprise. The rumour was quickly quashed, though, with the player's contract being extended by another year.
However, he would ultimately go on to leave Old Trafford. The striker's move to Fulham was confirmed in August 2012, with Berbatov signing a two-year deal with the London club. Moves to Monaco and PAOK followed, before the frontman finished his career following a spell with Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.
When writing his autobiography - My Way - he reached out to Ferguson and asked whether his former manager would write the foreword. Without hesitation, the Scotsman said yes. Not only that, but the legendary boss apologised for leaving Berbatov out of United's Champions League final squad and admitted that he got it wrong.
"When I first saw what he had written I felt some very mixed emotions," Berbatov told The Guardian. "First of all, you have to be really strong as a personality to say I'm sorry and the fact that he did only shows what kind of person Sir Alex is.
"His words made me feel good. However, I wouldn't say I was surprised because I always thought I had a place in the team for that particular game. But that is now in the past and you can't turn back the time."
Although there is understandable frustration about missing out on the final in 2011, Berbatov can look back at his time at Old Trafford with great pride. The Bulgarian ace won two Premier League titles, one Club World Cup and another League Cup - registering 56 goals and 27 assists in 149 appearances for the Reds.
It is impossible to say what would have happened if Berbatov had played against Barcelona in that game, but the 41-year-old, to his credit, has never held it against Ferguson. He reflects on the good times, rather than thinking about the bad.
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