'I became a cult hero at Man Utd - then I asked Alex Ferguson to let me leave'

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to let him go.

on a permanent transfer.

The French player made a strong impression from the start, scoring 32 goals in all competitions in his first season to propel the west London club into the Premier League.

After three seasons in the top division with Fulham, Saha eventually caught the attention of United, who were looking for a quicker, more versatile striker to strengthen their attacking options.

And while Fulham were initially unwilling to let him go, Louis Saha eventually forced a transfer to Old Trafford in January 2004 by threatening to see out the remaining time on his contract and leave on a free transfer.

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‘It was a challenging period, but when Sir Alex Ferguson contacts you and says, “I really appreciate your approach”, and, “You’re going to be part of a strategy where it’s a bit of a transitional phase”. It was fantastic to see.’

Despite entering a dressing room already containing Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Diego Forlan as striking options, Saha still scored seven goals in 12 Premier League appearances within his first six months at the club.

However, the following season saw Saha suffer the first of several prolonged injuries that would ultimately characterise his time at United.

Saha scored just two goals in all competitions in his first full season under Ferguson, which was starting to take on a new shape with the arrival of Wayne Rooney and the departure of Roy Keane.

The following season was Saha's best in a Manchester United shirt – registering 15 goals in all competitions – and by 2006/07, Saha and Rooney became Ferguson's first-choice strike partnership.

Despite a promising beginning to the season, injuries, unfortunately, disrupted his progress and availability for key matches.

And after another injury-plagued season the following year, which saw Saha miss United's Champions League final triumph in Moscow, the Frenchman realised that the time had come for a change of scenery.

‘It was absolutely heartbreaking. That feeling will never leave me,’ Saha said about his decision to leave Manchester United and join Everton,

‘I left the club because I felt I couldn’t offer the level of reliability that the club required for a striker, someone who can provide a link between the two midfielders. I couldn’t commit to playing at least 15-20 games per season.’

‘When I missed the Champions League final, I couldn’t picture myself in that situation again. So I decided to leave and it was a decision that was against my wish, almost. I wanted to stay for the rest of my career but the club had other plans.’

After four years on Merseyside, Saha spent brief periods at Tottenham, Sunderland and Lazio before retiring in 2013.

The striker concluded his playing career with 159 goals in 492 appearances, which included a record of 42 goals in 124 matches during his time at United.

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