Rezza

Joined Manchester United in a £3.5million deal with Tottenham Hotspur, the club I followed as a boy. Began my career with Millwall, making 220 league appearances and scoring 93 goals. Bought by Nottingham Forest in 1991, and after a fruitful first season was sold to Spurs in a £2.1 million deal. Bought to replace Eric Cantona in the link-forward role, I made United debut at White Hart Lane and sadly for me and amusingly for the Spurs boo-boys, I missed a penalty. After a bright start to my United career, I faded badly as United lost out to Arsenal's late charge for the Premiership title. My performances attracted the attention of the knockers and I was abused by both United and opposing fans. After spending most of the 1998/99 season sidelined by injury and the amazing performances of the Yorke-Cole axis, I returned to the first-team, usually as sub, to score some of the most important goals in United's history.Scored after just 96 seconds of my arrival as a sub in the FA Cup final and then created the second goal for Paul Scholes to claim the Man of the Match award. Then, in a moment which will define me forever, I came on to score United's equaliser and set up Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's winner as United claimed an injury-time win over Bayern Munich in the Champions' League final in Barcelona. Made only fourteen league starts in 1999/2000, scoring four goals. My form during the 2000/01 season was incredible and I installed myself as the number one striker at Manchester United. By the end of February I had scored 19 goals and joint Premiership top-scorer with Chelsea's Jimmy Hasselbaink. Went on to win both the Football Writers Player of the Year Award and the PFA Player of the Year Award to cap a brilliant return to form. I scored a total of 22 goals in all competitions. With my contract up at Old Trafford,I was eager to secure the deal that would be right for me at the age of 35. United were only prepared to offer the player a one year deal and in the end I made a return to White Hart Lane.Very much a hero during my time in north London, I was attacked for leaving the club for Manchester. But the prodigal son returned in May 2001 on a free transfer as part of Glenn Hoddle's revolution at the club.An unprecedented return to form also saw a return to the England set up after being over looked by Kevin Keegan for Euro 2000.I was one half of England's RAS (Rezza and Shearer) strike force which played such a large part in England's Euro 96 success. I also played during France 98, only to be replaced in the starting line-up by the nascent Michael Owen.Howard Wilkinson selected me for England's World Cup qualifier against Finland in October 2000, then Sven Goran Eriksson included the striker(Rezza) in his first squad in February 2001 and recalled him after absence in October of the same year.Scored the first goal in England's vital World Cup qualifying match with Greece at Old Trafford as England sealed their passage to Korea/Japan with a 2-2 draw. Doesn't have the speed, but compensates with an excellent 'football brain'.A vital player for Spurs, I scored a total of 177 goals in 244 games by the end of the 2001/02 season. Was selected for England's squad for the 2002 World Cup, and played in four of England's five games.