glancing at the golden medal has become a weekly habit
rather than one to be indulged every minute, it is not
impossible that the two men who brought the European Cup so
famously back to Manchester on Wednesday night will begin to
question just how long they can stay.
Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said nothing of
the sort in the Nou Camp, of course, because it was neither
the time nor the place, but there must be a moment when even
the memories of their remarkable feats are overtaken by the
needs of the present and the future.
It is onerous to put the fate of the two United strikers
together because they are different men at varying ends of
their careers. Yet they share the situation of being both
needed by their club, but also, usually, on its fringes.
"A competitor without competition dies," Arsène Wenger, the
Arsenal manager, said recently and there have been times
this season when both Solskjaer and Sheringham must have
felt they were in the onset of a sporting paralysis.
They both burst into life in a spectacular manner in the Nou
Camp and Alex Ferguson can now reward them for their
patience. Never mind that Sheringham played for only 22
minutes and Solskjaer for only nine - the Manchester United
manager will explain that they were there when it mattered
and when the European Cup was won.
The demands of the Champions' League next season are such
that Ferguson will want his squad to increase rather than
shrink, so it is unlikely, unless he signs a striker rather
than an expensive goalkeeper, that he will want neither
forward to depart. United will have to play 17 rather than
this season's 13 matches if they are to reach consecutive
finals and the burden of six European nights in seven weeks
will demand that there is not so much rotation as two
entirely different teams.
At the age of 33, it will be interesting to see if that is
enough to persuade Sheringham to stay, assuming that he is
not replaced. The rejuvenation of the striker will take a
further leap today when he is almost certain to be recalled
to the England squad, but the paradox is that the club that
has made it possible may also thwart his opportunities.
Sheringham is getting used to being pulled two ways.
"The manager said at half-time that he would change things
after 20 minutes if we were still 1-0 down, so I had mixed
emotions," he said. "I wanted to be involved, but I wanted
us to get back in it as well. I like to think I have played
a major part and that is all I have asked for. Hopefully
people will think that I have made a contribution to us
winning the treble.
"I will have to look at the goal again. I didn't really know
where I was. I knew the ball was coming towards me and
thought it might hit the post or go wide. I knew I had to
get something on it, so I just swung my leg, it came off my
ankle and went in." On such blind swings of ankles are
European Cups won and lost.
Sheringham appears humbler for his experiences this season,
which was a quality that he felt was lacking in Bayern
Munich. "It made it extra sweet because with 25 minutes to
go, Basler was in the corner waving to his fans. I was right
next to him when he was doing it because I was warming up. I
was looking for Basler at the end to give him a little wave
myself."
Solskjaer was more likely to slip away unnoticed from the
Nou Camp because that is his style. As other players
received the back-slapping of the supporters yesterday, the
Norway striker appeared almost to be clinging to the wall,
but then this is a player who recently bought his own boots
at the local sports shop because he did not want to trouble
anyone at Nike.
His winning goal was his eighteenth of a season in which he
has started only 15 games, but his age - 26 - should ensure
that he stays for at least another season. "To come into the
final of the Champions' League as a sub and to score in
injury time is what you dream about," he said. "What
happened has made me even more determined to stay." Ferguson
must hope that the thrill does not wear off too quickly