He secured his hero status around Celtic Park and then headed off to win the He had another stint at a global great when he made his sensational cameo at Old Trafford to help Manchester United deliver the title.The super Swede knew a player when he walked out alongside him and he knows a team when he sees one.He is convinced about Celtic’s place in the pecking order when he was there in his prime.He said: “Where would that team have finished in England? Those were the matches that got his juices flowing and the reputation on a wider scale is the mark of a big club, not money in the bank.Larsson said: “Representing Celtic was just fantastic. However, beyond the young Liverpudlian, there’s a problem…Frenchman Louis Saha, despite undeniable talent in front of goal, simply cannot be relied upon to remain match fit. Top four.

The striker’s three goals in 13 appearances may suggest that Larsson’s loan spell at Old Trafford was quite underwhelming, but those statistics don’t quite tell the full story.

By the time he left the pitch after 81 minutes, withdrawn for Louis Saha, United led 1-0 thanks to a Wayne Rooney goal scored early in the second half. Let me paint you a picture… Let’s pretend you are the manager of one of the biggest clubs in world football. He’d reluctantly told Ferguson that he would not be staying beyond 12th March, though it was a tough decision to say “no” to the legendary Scotsman.The following Tuesday evening brought the return of the UEFA Champions League, and a very challenging trip to French side Lille for Larsson and his temporary teammates. He had promised both his family and his hometown club that he would return to Sweden on 12th March to spearhead Helsingborg’s domestic campaign, and now that is what he had determined to do: keep his promise. The former Your relationship with legendary hitman Ruud van Nistelrooy had deteriorated over the previous 18 months to the point that when he asked for a transfer to Real Madrid last summer, you agreed to let him leave.In short, if anything serious were to sideline Wayne Rooney for more than a couple of weeks, you would be in big, big trouble. Ourexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Larsson made his United debut just six days later, 7th January, in a home FA Cup third-round tie against Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa.

In their place came the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney and Michael Carrick; highly skilled young men but still inexperienced in the means and methods of becoming serial winners.Larsson has been credited with helping to steer the younger lads through a crucial period in a defining season for their development as Manchester United players.

I think a lot of people tend to forget we had a really strong squad. Therefore, he was fully match-fit and could leave Helsingborg without causing the club any headaches. Three minutes later he showed that he already had great telepathy with Rooney, delightfully swapping passes before charging through to calmly make it 3-0, sending the Watford ‘keeper the wrong way.

Whilst Larsson no longer had the pace he once possessed, his years of experience as a professional player gave him a coolness under pressure that younger players rarely possess.As you can imagine, one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s top traits as a manager was that of man-management. The win over Tottenham, achieved despite ‘keeper Edwin van der Sar suffering a broken nose in the closing minutes, moved the Red Devils six points clear of reigning champions Chelsea at the top of the table.A week later, relegation-haunted Charlton Athletic were comfortably dispatched 2-0 at Old Trafford. Henrik Larsson has recalled what it was like walking into the Manchester United dressing room. Larsson had been dropped to the bench in favour of the fit-again Louis Saha, coming on to replace fellow veteran Ryan Giggs after 63 minutes.

It was his first goal in the Premier League in only his third league appearance.

When midfield dynamo Paul Scholes was red-carded for reacting to provocation from Xabi Alonso four minutes from time, it seemed as if United would do well just to hold on for a point.