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Throughout Manchester United’s 144 year history as a club, they’ve had many truly great strikers. But in between all the poachers and pure goalscorers, there’s one man who truly encapsulated what it meant to be a striker. Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
In the age of forwards who try to do it all, Van Nistelrooy’s goal was always simple; to finish his chances. In his five seasons at the club, the Dutchman would score 150 goals, currently placing him fifth in United’s all time top scorers.
An elite striker, a man you’d put your life on scoring when it counted. Here are his five best Manchester United goals:
vs Arsenal - Premier League 2002/03 (A):
The first of Van Nistelrooy’s two Premier League goals against Arsenal makes the list, and showed the Dutch striker at his very best.
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Arsenal on the attack, O’Shea tackles, cleared by Silvestre, flick on by Giggs, Van Nistelrooy passes back to Giggs, Giggs back to Van Nistelrooy, and off he goes.
Ball at his feet, still 30+ yards away from goal, Van Nistelrooy set off. Pushing past Campbell, Tony Adams is closing him down, but he shrugs him off as well, before chipping it over Lehmann with the calmest of finishes.
The third and fourth best centre-backs in Premier League history, as well as one of the league’s greatest ever keepers all beaten by one man, Ruud van Nistelrooy.
vs Juventus - Champions League 2002/03 (H):
With United claiming back to back wins in the first two games of the second group stage of the Champions League, they would face their greatest challenge yet in Juventus.
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The Turin based side had just won the Serie A in the previous season, and would go on to repeat that accomplishment in 02/03 as well. Not only that, but the Italian side would reach the final of the Champions League that season, narrowly missing out on UCL glory after being beaten by rivals AC Milan on penalties.
But on the 19th February 2003, that was all unknown, Juventus’ Serie A glory, and Champions League defeat events that remained in the future. All that mattered was Manchester United winning on that night against Juventus. With that in mind, enter Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
With United leading after just four minutes thanks to an excellent Wes Brown header, much of the first-half turned in favour of Juventus. Yet the second-half…the second-half belonged to Van Nistelrooy.
Early on the Dutch striker was wiped out in the box by Juventus keeper Antonio Chimenti, yet advantage was played and no penalty was given. Nonetheless, it was a clear indication of the ticking time bomb that was Van Nistelrooy.
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With the match coming to a close, it was Van Nistelrooy’s moment. David Beckham won the ball in the middle of the pitch off Edgar Davids, skipped past another Juventus player, before putting in a trademark perfect pass. Van Nistelrooy pounced, past his marker, into the box, one-touch on the volley, over the keeper. Game, set, match.
Throwing his shirt into the crowd, the goal clearly meant the world to the Dutchman. It didn’t matter that Juventus would get a late consolation from that year’s Ballon d’Or winner Pavel Nedved, the game belonged to United.
vs Charlton - Premier League 2005/06 (A):
As Van Nistelrooy’s time at United began to reach its end, during his last season he left fans of the Manchester club with one hell of a leaving present. On 20th November 2005, Van Nistelrooy took control of The Valley.
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An early booking just four minutes in perhaps wasn’t the way Van Nistelrooy would have liked to start the game, but he sure finished it in style.
Despite United taking a lead midway through the first-half, their lead would be deemed null and void after Charlton’s Darren Ambrose scored to even up the game in the 65th minute. Just five minutes later, the lead would once again be United’s.
A young Wayne Rooney would pick up the ball in his own half, confidently taking on not one, two, or three, but four Charlton players as he dribbled his way into the box. With the pressure on, Rooney would pick out Van Nistelrooy, who was being tightly marked by a Charlton defender.
With United’s #10 under pressure, he took the ball on his chest, before confidently spinning round and volleying it home from roughly 10 yards out.
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Shortly afterwards Van Nistelrooy would bag a second against Charlton, sealing a 3-1 away win. The latter of his two goals would be Van Nistelrooy’s only goal from outside of the box in his entire tenure in the Premier League.
vs Arsenal - Premier League 2004/05 (H):
The night that Arsenal’s ‘invincibles’ streak ended may have come to be known as ‘The Battle of the Buffet’ but for Van Nistelrooy it signalled revenge.
After seeing his last minute penalty rattle off the bar in the equivalent fixture the year before, Van Nistelrooy would be harassed by several Arsenal players, and we all know how it went from there for Arsenal. 49 league games unbeaten, and the chance to make it 50 on United’s home turf, for 70 minutes it looked like they were going to do it.
But then in the 73rd minute, Arsenal’s Sol Campbell would bring down Wayne Rooney, and a penalty that some might call soft was given. Up stepped Van Nistelrooy.
Where the season before Lehmann’s theatrics had forced the Dutchman into making an error, lightning wouldn’t strike twice as Van Nistelrooy sent the keeper the wrong way. Coolly slotting the ball into the bottom right, revenge isn’t a dish best served cold, but instead with a goal.
vs Fulham - Premier League 2002/03 (H):
Much like the Arsenal goal from the same season, this showed Van Nistelrooy as the powerful striker he was, demonstrating pure dominance from start to finish.
With the ball in the centre-circle in United’s half, there are perhaps only a handful of players who have ever played in the Premier League that could do what he did next. Dribbling forward, the Dutch striker took on five out of Fulham’s ten outfield players as he took it past one after the other.
Jumping over three tackles in the process, Van Nistelrooy would reach the box, before calmly tapping it from one foot to the other, finishing it with his right out of Fulham keeper Maik Taylor’s reach.
The goal was Van Nistelrooy’s second of the day, it wouldn’t be his last. A third late on secured him the match ball.
It’s undeniably fitting that Van Nistelrooy’s finest hour as an individual in a Manchester United shirt would come on the same day he scored his finest goal for the club.
Topics: Manchester United, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsenal, Premier League, Football