10 Shocking Man Utd Departures That Nobody Expected

10. John O€™Shea

Match-winning goals in front of the Kop and in a Champions League semi-final, 15 winners€™ medals in his wardrobe, and nearly 400 appearances, his repertoire at Old Trafford boasted that of a much superior player, with all due respect to the Irishman€™s talents. By his own admission, John O€™Shea will attest to the fact that he was nothing more than a hard-working utility man whose sheer versatility made him indispensable to Sir Alex Ferguson. He was part of the furniture at Old Trafford for 12 years, watching world-class players come and go, and some United supporters assumed he would always be there despite his limited capabilities. One might say the jig was finally up in the summer of 2011, but that would be far too glib an interpretation of the situation. To assume that O€™Shea hoodwinked his manager for over a decade, posing as a player more than his worth, is preposterous. Ferguson knew what he had in the Irishman - a reliable, dependable utility man who never once complained about being played out of position. Indeed, for O€™Shea, what was his position? He even played as a goalkeeper in one match. But all good things do come to an end, and Ferguson realised just how far behind Man United were beginning to lag in terms of European football. They may have reached a third European final in four seasons, but they had just been crushed by Barcelona for a second time, their frailties ruthlessly exposed. Along with the ageing Wes Brown, O€™Shea was packaged and bundled off to Sunderland.