Another Man United Legends game at Old Trafford is fast approaching and the ex-pros named in the lineup are slowly being drip-fed through to the fans, but who exactly has been confirmed to be playing so far?
The exhibition match is on behalf of the Manchester United Foundation and is the first charity game at the Theatre of Dreams since the Legends of the North fixture back in September 2022.
Scheduled to take on Scottish giants Celtic next month, the squad is now pretty much complete and there are some serious names set for the teamsheet.
It’s going to be a real throwback for any lifelong Red and tickets are already on sale.
So who is in the Man United vs Celtic legend lineup?
To kick things off, club legends Bryan Robson and Andy Cole will once again be returning as manager and assistant coach on the touchline, though we certainly do hope at least one of them might pull on a pair of boots for old time’s sake. We can only hope.
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Working our way through the United Legends squad, supporters will be buzzing to see prolific striker Dimitar Berbatov leading the line, with the likes of ex-wingers Jesper Blomqvist and Karel Poborsky set to provide him service in the box.
In the midfield, two Class of ’92 legends in Nicky Butt, Michael Carrick and the one and only Paul Scholes will be helping run the show in the middle of the park, and in defence, the likes of Denis Irwin, Wes Brown, Ronny Johnsen; Mikaël Silvestre and Antonio Valencia have been confirmed thus far.
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But things the nostalgia doesn’t stop there as making their Legends game debuts will be former goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard and a firm favourite of Sir Alex Ferguson and the fan base, Darren Fletcher – both of whom will be pulling on a United shirt for the first time in over a decade.
Better still, former academy graduates Phil Bardsley, Danny Webber and recently retired Premier League winner Danny Simpson will also be available as part of Robson’s squad, and there’s always time for a few last-minute surprises, so watch this space.
Speaking on the upcoming charity fixture, Robbo said: “You can’t beat being in a competitive game again. Whether you’re standing behind the white line, like me, or out on the pitch, it’s always special to be back.
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“It’s really important for us as ex-players to help promote and support the work the Foundation does. A lot of people benefit from it and we have to remember this, as it’s a really important part of this football club.
“It’ll be a really good event for youngsters, with plenty of activities taking place around the stadium on the day; it’s one for everybody to enjoy and I’m sure it’s going to be another special day.”
Tickets for the Man United v Celtic Legends game on Saturday, 7 September are on sale now, with general admission for adults starting from £21 and under 16s prices set at just £11.
Manchester City star Rodri warns that players are ‘close’ to going on strike over too many games
Danny Jones
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Manchester City star Rodri has come out to warn that professional footballers could soon go on strike over the number of games they are now playing each year.
The Blues’ Treble and Euro 2024-winning midfielder is one of Pep Guardiola’s most heavily relied-upon squad members and has been absent for the start of the new Premier League campaign thus far, and has once again made his feelings known on the issue of fixture congestion.
Now in what is widely accepted to be the ‘prime years’ of his career, Rodri is only just back in training following an injury in the final between Spain and England back in July; his return to the press conference table saw his addressing the possibility of a potential player strike.
Speaking ahead of Man City’s opening game of this year’s Champions League competition, the 28-year-old said that the number of games in each season is simply becoming “too much”.
"You can play 40-50 games at a top level but not 60-70" 🗣️
Rodri says the increased workload for players in the current schedule is "too much" ⚽ pic.twitter.com/rie3CWKDnL
When asked by a reporter if he believes it will get to a point where players might consider going on strike, he said: “I think we are close to that. I think it’s the general opinion of the players and if it keeps [going] this way, there will be a moment where we have no other option.”
Although Rodri couldn’t give an exact number that he thinks is suitable, he estimated that “40-50” is the top limit for players to keep performing at the highest level, insisting that anything more and you inevitably drop because “it’s impossible to sustain the physical levels.”
The Spanish international, who joined City back in 2019 and has gone on to be part of the greatest period in the now record-breaking side’s history, went on to add: “We have to take care of ourselves. Someone has to take care of us because we are the main characters in this sport, this business, whatever you want to call it.”
He also argued that not only is it a worry for players’ fitness and well-being – with the growing number of games being directly correlated to people becoming more injury-prone – but also for the overall entertainment and “the quality of the show.”
Rodri is by no means the only one either; just earlier this past February, the PFA’s (Professional Footballers’ Association) chief executive Maheta Molango said: “For us, we’ve reached a stage where it is not just about the health of the player, it is about us killing the product.” The calls are growing louder.
🚨🔴 Alisson on new Champions League format: “For the supporters, amazing. But sometimes nobody asks the players what they think about adding more games…”.
Naturally, on the other hand, many fans argue that these are professional athletes on hundreds of thousands of pounds a week and, in the case of teams such as Man City, it’s the club’s responsibility to rotate the squad and use youth players so as to manage fatigue and adequate rest.
Rodri’s right: ‘the beautiful game’ is still a business and whether or not the higher-ups see it within their best interests to stem the increasing flow of games for the sake of player welfare and/or the quality of the most televised sport in the world, the narrative isn’t going anywhere and strikes now sound more plausible than ever.
Do you agree — are professional footballers now expected to play too many games?
You can watch an extended look at his press conference and comments on fixture congestion here:
Rodri on a potential players’ strike over the bloated fixture lists.
Manchester breaks the all-time Davis Cup attendance record despite GB disappointment
Danny Jones
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The 2024 Davis Cup wasn’t to be for Great Britain but Manchester and fans all over the country can still be proud that we did our bit as it has been confirmed that we set an all-time attendance record.
GB crashed out of this year’s tournament on Sunday following Dan Evans’s defeat against Canada’s Denis Shapovalov, which sealed a 2-1 loss against the North American visitors and saw the home team fail to progress to the quarter-finals for the second time in three years.
Team captain Leon Smith’s side got off to a winning start in their hard-fought opener against Finland, but after the fatigued were knocked back by Argentina in the second match, it was always going to be a tough task.
Nevertheless, the crowds continued to improve throughout the week after a rallying cry from Smith and it culminated in 15,700 tickets sold for Sunday alone, meaning that a Manchester crowd bigger than Wimbledon’s Centre Court filed into the AO Arena to watch the action.
Record Breaking! 🏆🎾 A new @DavisCup record in Great Britain 🙌 15,700 attendees at the @AOArena 🥳 Thank you everyone for an incredible week of tennis! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/rfLKP6DU0T
What a way to answer the call when the national team needs you – can always count on the Mancs.
Better still, it wasn’t just the closing fixture that surpassed previous feats of attendance: a total of 37,000 sporting spectators turned up to the AO Arena over the course of the six days of play, cementing not only a new record for the arena but in the entire history of the Davis Cup.
With the legendary arena still fairly fresh from its £50m redevelopment, including new state-of-the-art facilities and additions like The Mezz, everyone in attendance was able to soak up the electrifying atmosphere.
Hosting the competition once again after the rousing success of the World Cup of Tennis’ return to Manchester for the first time in 30 years in September 2023, it didn’t disappoint and provided the perfect backdrop for creating global sporting history.
Both the athletes and the supporters inside the arena were on top form from start to finish, with an atmosphere to be very proud of.
By the final day, the atmosphere was incredible. (Credit: Supplied)
Commenting on their new personal record and impressive feat on behalf of the entire Davis Cup and LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), the AO commented: “This underscores the arena’s growing reputation as a leading, must-attend and must-play destination for major sporting events and entertainment.
“The milestone also highlights Manchester’s thriving cultural footprint on a truly global scale, and the city’s continued commitment to hosting high-calibre events with enormous success”, they continued.
“The Davis Cup is a tournament renowned for drawing significant global attention and attracting the biggest names in the sport. AO Arena’s record-breaking attendance not only enhances Manchester’s profile on the international sporting stage but is also set to attract further prestigious events to the city.”
Having already proved ourselves as a tennis-loving crowd, we sincerely hope we see the Davis Cup come back to Manchester for yet another visit very soon and GB can rest assured that we’ll be cheering them on every step of the way – we know they’ll come back stronger next time.
🌟DAVIS CUP MANCHESTER…THAT’S A WRAP!🌟
It wasn’t to be for Team GB this year, but another amazing tennis showcase in our city – with a record crowd attendance. Best of luck to all finalists.
Danny Jones -
8th August 2024 
