A former Manchester United attacker – who was considered a prodigy – has opened up about his time at Old Trafford
Giuseppe Rossi joined Manchester United as a teenager with enormous potential – and a remarkably high-profile endorsement from none other than Sir Alex Ferguson.
The former Italy international made his way into United’s first-team squad at just 17 in 2004 following his move to Manchester from Parma, where he had signed his first professional deal. His clinical finishing and technical ability in training caught the eye, leading Ferguson to draw a striking comparison to one of the club’s all-time greats: Paul Scholes.
At the time, a hugely impressed Fergie said: “If you ask me who was the last striker with Rossi’s potential to come through the ranks here, then I would definitely say Scholesy. They are different types of players but similar in ability.
“We have got great hopes for Rossi. He has shown, in his training performances in particular, a fantastic ability.”
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For a young forward attempting to establish himself, being compared to Scholes – a player who would eventually rack up 155 goals from midfield and secure 11 Premier League titles – represented the highest praise imaginable. Rossi made his senior debut in November 2004, coming on as a late substitute for David Bellion in a League Cup match against Crystal Palace.
Nearly 12 months on, he burst onto the Premier League scene in spectacular fashion, replacing Ruud van Nistelrooy against Sunderland and scoring just nine minutes after coming on to seal a 3-1 victory.
Despite being in a dressing room alongside superstars such as Scholes, Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Rossi maintains there was no pecking order in Ferguson’s man-management approach.
In an interview with Corriere dello Sport, Rossi disclosed the compassionate side of the famously temperamental manager. The now-39-year-old said: “He [Ferguson] treated me like a son. He did that with everyone.
“I expected perhaps a kind of divinity even in his attitudes to others. Instead, he was an easy-going person. He protected every player and treated everyone the same.”
Eventually, the intense competition for attacking positions at United meant Rossi needed to seek opportunities elsewhere for consistent game time.
A loan stint at Newcastle at the beginning of the 2006/07 campaign produced just a solitary goal in 13 outings. A considerably more fruitful temporary switch back to Parma came next, where he notched nine goals and five assists across 20 matches.
Upon his return to Manchester, the route into the starting XI remained obstructed. Rooney and Ronaldo became established figures in United’s forward line, and Carlos Tevez joined from West Ham, resulting in his permanent transfer to Villarreal.
Rossi went on to experience a superb six-year stint in Spain, cementing his reputation as one of La Liga’s most prolific forwards before devastating injury setbacks damaged his prime years.
He subsequently had periods with Fiorentina, Genoa, Real Salt Lake and SPAL before officially retiring in July 2023.
Whilst his United career never quite scaled the peaks Ferguson had once envisaged, Rossi’s recollections of his time at the Theatre of Dreams – and the manager who had faith in him – continue to be deeply fond nearly two decades on.
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