Manchester United are set to return to the Champions League on Wednesday night when they take on Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Erik ten Hag’s side will be looking to open their campaign in style after securing a spot in the competition following a season in the Europa League. And Express Sport takes a look at five stars who played for the Red Devils and the Munich giants.
Owen Hargreaves
Perhaps the most famous player to play for both sides was Owen Hargreaves, who moved to Old Trafford in 2007 following a decade in Munich. Hargreaves was already a household name in the north west having featured for England in three major tournaments. But the move “turned out to be a disaster”, according to legendary United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, with the versatile player featuring just 39 times in four years.
“Owen had no confidence in himself whatsoever,” the Scot added in his autobiography. “He didn’t show nearly enough determination to overcome his physical difficulties, for my liking. I saw him opt for the easy choice too often in terms of training. He was one of the most disappointing signings of my career.”
Marcel Sabitzer
Marcel Sabitzer joined the Red Devils on loan from Bayern last January to plug the gaps in midfield and featured 18 times for the side. But United opted against making the deal permanent in the summer as they instead pursued Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat. And Sabitzer ended up moving to Borussia Dortmund ahead of the new campaign.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger was another player who moved from Germany to England after joining United in 2015 when Louis van Gaal was at the helm. The midfielder appeared 31 times during his maiden campaign at the club – but his best days were clearly behind him.
He played just four more times after Jose Mourinho took charge of the team and was ultimately moved on when Chicago came in for him towards the end of the 2016/17 campaign.
Daley Blind
Daley Blind joined Bayern Munich in January – five years after leaving Old Trafford to return to Ajax. The left-back failed to live up to expectations in England and was unable to help United discover the form that led them to 13 Premier League titles. Blind, who has won 102 caps for the Netherlands, was in Manchester for four years, but could only manage six months in Germany before being released and signing for Girona.
Mark Hughes
You’d have to rewind the clock back to a time when the Premier League didn’t even exist to get a glimpse of Red Devils legend Mark Hughes in a Bayern Munich shirt. The striker came through the United academy before moving to Barcelona in 1986. He then had a loan spell with Bayern the following year, netting seven goals in 23 games for the club. Hughes returned to Old Trafford in 1988 and ended his Red Devils career with 138 strikes in 383 appearances.
