FORLAN ON HIS FEET

Last updated : 07 November 2004 By Editor

The Sunday Times:

Suddenly, the blond Uruguayan finds himself among the pack of forwards chasing the leading scorers in Spain’s top division, said to be the game’s finest domestic competition. What happened? First, he began well. Having taken 27 matches to break his duck for United, Forlan scored on his Villarreal debut, in a derby at Valencia, and though a dryish patch followed, he has scored three goals in his past four games. Second, as he’s happy to concede, pressure here tends to come in a whisper, not a roar. His new home town, population 45,000, could take every man, woman and child it counts as a citizen to Old Trafford and still leave a third of the seats spare.

"Of course, you are aware of the difference," says Forlan. "Manchester United was huge, this is smaller, but I know what it’s like to play in a stadium which is not always full. I had that in Uruguay. It can be calmer here. You can see what it’s like, or hear what it’s like. It’s quiet."

"I knew what I was coming into (joining United) that it was a big club and there would be some good players and I accepted that the manager would have players he valued higher.

"The fans were great, particularly in the first six months when it was not going so well. They always supported me, and I appreciated that."

They included the two within four minutes that have ensured his own little nook in the museum of United folklore: Anfield, December 1, 2002, and a pair of goals in quick succession in a 2-1 win.

Would that be his cherished souvenir? "Yes, that and Chelsea, when I scored (the winner) in the last minute. Those goals turned out to be very important for the title. But Liverpool was one of those great games. It’s always good to be remembered for something nice. That first full season was okay. The second one, it became more difficult. If you’re on the bench, you don’t feel involved. You don’t have the same rhythm as the guy who’s playing all the time.

"Alex Ferguson used to tell me that he wanted me to be in, but I wasn’t and I don’t know why. He knows more, he’s the one who made the decision. "

"With me and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, we had only three strikers, but the problem for us became that the manager was only playing one. You ask, ‘So who’s the third choice’?" he says.

He knew the answer. It was him. When Louis Saha joined, he had it confirmed. Six months later Alan Smith signed.

"I knew that with another arrival this season, the manager was not involving me," Forlan says. "I’m 25 and this is the age when you need to play. For many reasons I would have liked to stay, but it wasn’t the best option for me."

"You miss being part of a great club, and it was like a big family," he says. "In two and a half years, everybody gets to know you. I had teammates who were also really good people, and it was the same with the training staff and Alex Ferguson."