The most common criticism leveled at Forlan's time at United is his goal-scoring record: 17 in 98 appearances. But it should be noted that he scored more than one goal per season during his first seven campaigns with the club, so he was already well on his way to meeting this mark before he even played a single game for the team. In fact, according to figures compiled by www.footballreference.com, Forlan scored at an average rate of one goal every 2.4 matches during his early seasons at Old Trafford.
He continued at a similar rate after arriving at United in the summer of 2006, but following his move to Atletico Madrid that same year, his goal tally took a sharp drop - to 10, 12 and then just once more in 2008/09.
However, when you consider that he spent two seasons without a league match due to injury, then went eight months without scoring before netting twice in May 2009, it can be seen that Forlan was still producing eye-catching displays even if he wasn't finding the back of the net regularly.
Furthermore, since his arrival in Spain, only Karim Benzema has scored more goals (53) for Atleti.
Six objectives Between his debut in 2002 and his retirement in 2015, Forlan scored 36 times for his country, including six goals in FIFA World Cups. He is the second-highest scorer at a single World Cup after Pelé with 10 goals.
The number six is important for Forlan; it's the number of minutes he wants to score a goal. In an interview with ESPN in 2013, he said "I like to play in big games, in big moments". That's why he is happy that Brazil has a final match on June 21st at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. It will be his hometown team against Germany in what could be his last game ever!
Diego Forlan was born on January 4th, 1976 in Montevideo, Uruguay. His father was a Uruguayan while his mother was Spanish. He had two sisters named Laura and Sofia. At the age of five, he moved with his family to Spain where he grew up in Madrid. It was here that he started playing football professionally.
Forlan made his international debut for Uruguay in a February 2000 friendly match against Argentina, coming on as a substitute in the 79th minute for Ariel Ortega.
Some players just do not flourish as substitutes, and Forlan was one of them. Only five of his goals for United came as a substitute. When starting from the start, the striker's ratio was one goal every three starts. Certainly not prolific, but far more commendable.
He did however, score in each round he appeared in, including the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. That is more than many starters can say.
Forlan only made 16 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions, but scored 15 goals. He finished as United's top scorer for two consecutive seasons between 2004/05 and 2005/06. His contribution to the club at an early stage of his career is evident by this fact alone.
He later went on to play for several other European clubs including current champions Porto and Zenit St Petersburg, before returning to Uruguay in July 2009 to sign for Uruguayan side Nacional. He currently plays for Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC.
Diego Forlan scored on his debut for Manchester United against Liverpool on August 13, 2004. He came on as a 68th-minute substitute for Juan Carlos Valerón and helped himself to a brace within four minutes after replacing Paul Scholes. The Uruguayan international had been drafted into José Mourinho's squad after Ronaldo broke his hand during the 4-1 win over Leeds United two days earlier.
21 objectives But his, if not United's, finest season was still to come. After being overlooked by Kevin Keegan for Euro 2000, the veteran striker finished the 2001-02 season as United's top scorer with 21 goals in 33 games, earning him the PFA and FWA Player of the Year. That figure included a goal every 107 minutes, which remains a Premier League record.
He returned from injury early in the 2002-03 season and went on to make 150 appearances for United, scoring 105 goals. In total, he made over 250 appearances for the club and scored over 200 goals, making him one of the most successful strikers in United's history.
Sheringham's career at Old Trafford came to an end in 2004 when he moved to Tottenham Hotspur. He later had brief spells with Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua and Indonesian club Bali United before retiring in 2012 at the age of 36.
During his time at United, he won three FA Cups (1998, 1999, 2002), two UEFA Champions Leagues (1999, 2003), the Charity Shield (2000) and the Football Writers' Association Player of the Year Award (2002).
Sheringham was named in the PFA Team of the Year each year he played for United, except in 2001 when Eric Cantona took that title home.
He is one of just a handful players with over 1,100 professional career appearances and over 780 recognized senior career goals for club and country. He is also among the most prolific scorers in UEFA Champions League history with 57 goals.
In addition to his native France, Di Maria has represented Argentina at international level. He was part of the squad that won the South American Youth Championship in 2004 but did not make an appearance. The following year, he was included in Jorge Sampaoli's first squad for two friendly matches against Ecuador and Venezuela. Di Maria made his full international debut on 10 June 2005 in a 2-0 away win over Ecuador. He came on as a 63rd-minute substitute for Javier Mascherano and helped Argentina qualify for the 2006 World Cup by scoring their first goal in the process.
Di Maria's form at Real Madrid saw him become a key player under manager José Mourinho. In his three seasons with the club, he played a major role in helping them win the La Liga title in 2006–07 and 2007–08 and the UEFA Champions League in 2008–09. He also contributed five goals in 40 appearances in all competitions during this period.
After leaving Real Madrid for Manchester United in August 2009, Di Maria failed to establish himself as a first-team regular there either.
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