10 Underwhelming Man Utd Signings Who Became Cult Heros

7. Antonio Valencia

Suddenly handed £80 million by a generous Madrid president, how do you replace one of the best players to have ever kicked a football? Having scored 118 goals for the club and weighing in with countless assists, one would not envy the footballer who would have to follow that act. Was it a stroke of genius or a touch of madness for Sir Alex Ferguson to ditch the usual method of scouring Europe's elite clubs for a £40 million-rated superstar, and instead just pop in his car and drive down to Lancashire? When Ecuadorian Antonio Valencia was presented to the Old Trafford press in June 2009, there seemed to be more than air of muted despondency amongst the United supporters. Some rubbed their eyes, believing it to be a joke. With £80 million in the bank, signing Wigan Athletic's Antonio Valencia to replace the Ballon d'Or winner was akin to Liverpool settling for Rickie Lambert had Mario Balotelli not allayed Anfield fears following Luis Suarez' exit this summer. However, with the expectation well and truly distinguished, Valencia was allowed to flourish in his own right. Establishing himself in the first team, he lit up Old Trafford with his electrifying pace and slowly won over his detractors through his all-action, lung-busting displays. While he has regressed considerably in the last 18 months, Valencia can still be proud of surviving at Old Trafford for half a decade when most of the supporters considered him to be bottom-half fodder upon his underwhelming arrival.