Not every player works at Manchester United, and to stand out amid Sir Alex Ferguson’s golden era of success, you really had to be special.
If this current Manchester United squad were to win the Premier League in 2024/25, then every single player would end up being cherished as heroes, for ending a now decade-plus long streak without a league title.
Back in the early 2000s, the standards were a little different. Title success was not a dream, it was the minimum expectation.
This mean that players could win the Premier League for Manchester United one season, and it would still feel like they had not reached their full potential.
Take Juan Sebastien Veron for instance. The Argentine was a Premier League title winner in 2002/03, even scoring in a decisive home victory over Arsenal. Yet when he left in 2003, somewhat prematurely, it felt like his time at the club had been a disappointment.
In Veron’s case, there was good reason. There was a very special player in there, who was capable of a lot more than he showed at Old Trafford.
Wes Brown comments on Juan Sebastien Veron
Speaking in a new interview, Manchester United Treble winner Wes Brown highlighted Veron as an example of a player whose talent cannot be judged merely on his output at the club alone.
Brown talked up Veron, speaking to the Ben Heath podcast, discussing his admiration for the Argentine, who would go on to win the Copa Libertadores with hometown club Estudiantes at the age of 34, in 2009.
“One of the best players I’ve ever seen in my life, it just didn’t work out,” Brown said, “Unbelievable footballer. It didn’t quite work out consistently.”
“He’d have a good game here and there, it just didn’t work. Sometimes whether its the team, or the shape or it doesn’t work for that particular player.
“He was unbelievable. I don’t think at any point, any of the players who played with him thought ‘he’s not good enough’, and he’d show it in spells in games, you’d see it, it just wasn’t consistent.”
Veron signed for £28 million in 2001 and was thrust into a midfield to compete with Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, and Nicky Butt. Most players would have struggled to thrive, but Sir Alex Ferguson was keen to try and shake his options up, worried the midfield would go stale without competition after three successive league titles.
The former Lazio star had a remarkable passing range, see his assist for Diego Forlan against Chelsea, another player with a bundle of talent who did not show what he was capable of, and scored some impressive goals too, see his chip against Olympiakos or free-kick against West Ham.
United’s problem was not persisting with Veron. After receiving an attractive offer from newly rich Chelsea, the Red Devils decided to cash in, and it was to the detriment of the player.
The team would eventually replace him three years later with Michael Carrick, but during 2003 to 2006, United found it tough going, and would have been no worse off sticking with Veron, who was showing signs of hitting new heights in the pre-season prior to his sale.
Brown also highlights Gerard Pique talent
As a centre-back, Wes Brown knew how challenging it was to compete with Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
While he had the added versatility of being able to shift out to right-back, this was not part of the plan for young wonderkid Gerard Pique, who ended up leaving the club in 2008 to return to Barcelona.
Brown admitted that United were in a difficult spot, as there was no immediate pathway for the future Spain international.
He commented: “Another one is Gerard Pique. You’ve goy Vidic and Rio, do you keep him? You’ve got to let him go.
“Young kid, brilliant on the ball, good defensive mind, but probably won’t play for three or four years because you’ve got the two main lads in.”
Brown was able to prolong his own United career to 2011, having made his debut in 1998. He remains an underrated talent who would be one of the best players in the team’s squad now, an automatic starter. Back then, it was not so easy.