10 Shocking Man Utd Departures That Nobody Expected

Last year, an embittered Roy Keane described Sir Alex Ferguson's main strength, and also weakness, as one and the same - 'his ruthlessness'. While the former Manchester United captain clearly has a chip on his shoulder over the way he was so readily tossed into the wilderness after 12 and a half years of service at Old Trafford, the Irishman does have a point. There was no room for sentiment when Sir Alex was conducting his transfer dealings. It didn't matter how many medals a player had acquired, or how many goals they had scored for the club - once they had begun to tip over the slope of their peak, more often that not they were looking for a new club. Players must also have known their place, as Ferguson famously stated that 'nobody was bigger than the club', which led to some high-profile bust-ups, and departures of some of the most revered and iconic Old Trafford heroes. Man United supporters have certainly been left reeling by some of Ferguson's snap decisions - some of which he will admit he has erred in the past - but by now, the Old Trafford faithful should have come to expect the unexpected at the Theatre of Dreams. With Louis van Gaal seemingly adopting the same callously ruthless streak as the gloriously successful Scot, orchestrating a cast cull in his first transfer window, it looks like there will be a host of more shock departures from Old Trafford for years to come. Take a look at the ten shock departures from Old Trafford.