SIR ALEX FERGUSON boasted a stacked attack of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez when Manchester United won the Premier League in 2009.
But the legendary Scot insisted Federico Macheda was his best finisher at the club – and the Italian striker believes he could still get into the current Red Devils team.
Federico Macheda made his name with his dramatic winner against Aston Villa in 2009[/caption]
His crucial goals helped Manchester United win the Premier League[/caption]
The Italian striker is now playing for Asteras Tripolis in Greece[/caption]
Macheda, 33, wrote his name into Old Trafford folklore with his dramatic 93rd minute winner against Aston Villa on his debut aged 17 in April 2009.
He repeated the trick a week later at Sunderland as United won the Premier League by four crucial points from Liverpool.
Macheda was the unlikely hero despite sharing a dressing room with legendary forwards Ronaldo, Rooney, Berbatov and Tevez – as well as a teenage Danny Welbeck.
His natural instincts in front of goal, demonstrated by his iconic turn and curl beyond Brad Friedel, earned a prestigious title from Fergie.
Macheda, who received an unexpected catch-up phone call from Ferguson this month after seven years without contact, told SunSport: “Sir Alex would tell everybody I was the best finisher in the club.
“I was surprised. It was the best team in the history of Manchester United with the names and quality.
“He must have some special feeling for me and for sure hoped things would be different for me.”
The Villa goal made Macheda a household name overnight and he acknowledges that magic moment will always be “part of me”.
But he failed to kick on from his “perfect” start, totalling five goals in 36 appearances, intertwined with loans to Sampdoria, QPR, Stuttgart, Doncaster and Birmingham.
Macheda admits it was his loans and lack of effort that meant he remained a cult hero rather than a club legend in Manchester, despite having the example of Ronaldo, the epitome of dedication, to learn from.
He said: “My dream was to keep going like I started but I knew it was impossible. I had not just one striker in front of me but four stars of crazy value, talent and history.
“Cristiano was an idol. It was never enough for him.
“Ronaldo was working next to me, swimming for one hour, but at 18 I didn’t understand this big mentality. I did what I was told but was not looking for extra steps.
“I never reached my full potential. Never.
“My United career should have been more. You get chances but I didn’t take some.
“The biggest regret is I didn’t focus fully or work as hard as I should.
“Football came naturally. It wasn’t arrogance, I just didn’t know.
“Sir Alex liked me lots as a player but I didn’t give him extra reasons to keep going with me.
“You must work 200 per cent every day to stay at United because they can have any player they want. I had the ability but you must give more than everything to stay.
“I understand this now I’m older.”
https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1113728990110523392
Federico Macheda’s career in numbers
CLUB (ALL COMPS)
2008–2014 – Manchester United: 36 appearances (5 goals)
2011 – Sampdoria (loan): 16 (1)
2012 – Queens Park Rangers (loan): 6 (0)
2013 – VfB Stuttgart (loan): 18 (0)
2013–2014 – Doncaster Rovers (loan): 15 (3)
2014 – Birmingham City (loan): 18 (10)
2014–2016 – Cardiff City: 33 (8)
2016 – Nottingham Forest (loan): 3 (0)
2016–2018 – Novara: 52 (11)
2018–2022 – Panathinaikos: 116 (40)
2022–2024 – Ankaragucu: 41 (6)
2023 – APOEL (loan): 17 (2)
2024– – Asteras Tripolis: 21 (6)
INTERNATIONAL
2006–2007 – Italy U16: 10 (2)
2007–2008 – Italy U17: 3 (0)
2009 – Italy U19: 1 (0)
2009–2012 – Italy U21: 10 (4)
HONOURS
Manchester United
- Premier League: 2008-09, 2010-11
- League Cup: 2009–10
- Jimmy Murphy Academy Player of the Year: 2008–09
Panathinaikos
- Greek Cup: 2021–22
Macheda left United in 2014, joining his ex-academy coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Cardiff.
The “highlight” of his “rollercoaster” career was, interestingly, a four-month unemployed stint in 2016 when the then-25-year-old couldn’t find a club and “changed everything about myself” including hiring a mental coach.
FROM GOAT TO GOATS
He has since had stints in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus before returning to Greece in September.
Macheda signed for Asteras Tripolis during Claude Makelele’s 25-day managerial reign and fittingly took the vacant No41 jersey, the same number he wore for his famous breakthrough.
It is a far cry from the grandeur of Manchester United: the man who once played with a GOAT now trains next to a field of sheep and goats.
Just like 16 years ago, though, Macheda wants to fire his team to glory, either in the Greek Cup or a strong league finish, to take Asteras back into Europe.
Asteras, against whom Harry Kane went in goal and Erik Lamela scored that rabona in 2014, face Crete’s OFI on Wednesday in the cup semi-final first leg.
Star-man Macheda loves Greece and, fit and healthy, thinks he could play for another decade.
And with his six goals in 18 league games this term, he is matching United’s top scorers Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo in the Premier League and outperforming both Joshua Zirkzee (three) and Rasmus Hojlund (two).
He was just 17 when he had his magic moment against Villa at Old Trafford[/caption]
Macheda revealed he did not realise the sheer hard work required to succeed at United[/caption]
The striker left in 2014 and reunited with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Cardiff[/caption]
The United team of that era boasted outrageous talent[/caption]
Asked if he could do a better job in the current Red Devils starting XI, Macheda was candidly confident but admitted even Robert Lewandowski would struggle.
He replied: “Now? At 33? I think I could play there. Yes. Do better? I don’t know.
“I must say it’s not easy to play for Manchester United now but I think I could still play there.
“Personally, I like Zirkzee and Hojlund. The club is under pressure. The situation is not easy for any striker, even if you put Lewandowski in the team.
“But as a player, I can see myself playing there at the moment. A couple of games if Ruben Amorim needs me!
“I know the Premier League level. It’s very difficult but I could play there. Why not?”
Keeping tabs on his old employers has been more painful viewing this season with the fallen giants languishing 15th in the table despite Amorim replacing Erik ten Hag.
Federico Macheda’s goal vs Aston Villa
FEDERICO MACHEDA’S life changed forever when he scored a 93rd-minute winner to secure a crucial 3-2 win over Aston Villa on April 5, 2009.
Sent on for Nani at 2-1 down, Macheda came up trumps with his epic turn and finish into the corner – a goal that lives long in the memory for all United fans.
Here’s what Macheda remembers of that special day…
On finding out he would play
“We were short of strikers because Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov were unavailable. We had a reserve game at Newcastle on the Wednesday. Sir Alex said if I did well I might be in the first team on Sunday. I scored a hat-trick. Against Villa we were 2-1 down and on 60 minutes he called to me. I thought he was calling Danny Welbeck but he shouted again. It was my time. I went on and I was so sure of myself. I told all my friends that if I played, I would score.”
On the finish
“It just came in a moment. My technical abilities were pretty good. At this moment I wasn’t thinking about too much when I had the ball. It just came and I knew I had the chance to try and do something good. My instinct told me to do this. It was perfect.”
On Martin Tyler’s commentary
“The goal and the commentary are iconic. It’s the moment and the celebration from the fans. It’s something that remains. It’s not easy to have those kinds of moments in football.”
On the dressing room
“The dressing room was electrifying. When you win a game, it should be like this. But it was more than this. I was all over the place. I don’t know if I’ve seen this atmosphere again. Everybody was coming around me, kissing me, hugging me. Big players came to me to celebrate me. Sir Alex hugged me.”
On the man-of-the-match champagne and celebrations
“I didn’t drink it, I still haven’t. Gary Neville gave it to me afterwards. But I never drank it. Now it’s in my family’s house. My mother and father still love it. We went to a restaurant with my family. My goal was showing everywhere. I felt shy to see myself on TV. Everybody was talking about the goal.”
On the goal’s legacy
“It’s part of me of course. It was probably the most famous goal I scored. For sure it changed my life. My target when I went to Manchester was to play only one time for this club in this stadium. I was dreaming about a moment like this. Maybe that moment was even better than my dreams. Because everything was perfect.”
Macheda thinks no manager, not even Ferguson, could get a title-winning tune out of the current squad which features just three leaders.
But speaking at Asteras’ 6,500-seater stadium, he is adamant Amorim can deliver a Premier League within “two to three years” on three conditions.
Macheda added: “I believe yes he can. Amorim has a special connection. He’s one coach that can get Manchester United to fight for everything.
“I like Amorim even if you don’t see the results, maybe sometimes they play bad football.
“It’s difficult because for a club to be successful, you need great players.
“United doesn’t have the team at the moment to win the Premier League. They have good players but if you put any coach in, it wouldn’t change a lot.
“There are only a few leaders: Bruno, Maguire, Lisandro. But it’s not enough. Maybe the others are not ready to play for this club.
“Amorim should keep the legacy and history at Manchester United going by rebuilding like they used to with young players. Then I believe the wind will change.
“If they trust Amorim and give him time, bring in the right players and change some things in the club like the bad mentality, I believe Manchester United will be back in two to three years.”
Macheda returned to Greece with Asteras Tripolis in September[/caption]
He has scored six goals in 18 league games[/caption]
Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund are struggling under the pressure[/caption]
Macheda reckons he could get into the current Red Devils team[/caption]
Macheda sat down with SunSport at the 6,500-seater Theodoros Kolokotronis Stadium[/caption]
SunSport visited Macheda in the build-up to their Greek Cup semi-final[/caption]
The first-team training pitch is next to a field with sheep and goats[/caption]
Asteras are desperate to get back into Europe once again[/caption]
The set-up at Asteras is a far cry from Old Trafford and Carrington[/caption]
The club have a loyal fanbase in the city in the middle of the Peloponnese region of Greece[/caption]
