10 Shocking Man Utd Departures That Nobody Expected

5. Paul Ince

Paul Ince made 281 appearances for Manchester United and was charged with the unenviable task of replacing the influential Bryan Robson at Old Trafford. There is no denying that Ince was a top player for the club, and was an instrumental part of their success in the early 90s, but in 1995 the fan favourite was booted out of the club. Sir Alex Ferguson cares not for the verdict of the fans, or the popularity of a certain player - if he believes a particular individual has become too big for his boots, then the writing is on the wall for them, no matter how good they are. With relations having fractured between player and manager during the season, with Ferguson labelling Ince €˜a big-time Charlie€™ and a €˜bottler€™, the Scot agreed to sell him to Inter Milan in the summer for £7.5 million. The news came as a shock, not only because the influential dynamo of the Manchester United midfield was being shipped out of the club, but also because the Red Devils were refusing to dip their toes into the transfer market for a replacement. The relative novice Nicky Butt was instead entrusted with the task of taking over from the England international, much to the incredulity of the Red Devils faithful. However, it seemed to pay dividends as the club marched on to scoop the double in 95/96 season, leaving all thoughts of Paul Ince but a distant memory.