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Wednesday, May 20, 2020

When Diego Forlan played shirtless for Manchester United against Southampton

Diego Forlan did not quite have a lasting impact for Manchester United in terms of numbers. However, his game against Southampton will always be remembered.

At the peak of his powers, Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan was an unstoppable force in European football. Over the course of his 20-year career playing across various leagues, Diego Forlan established himself as one of the most clinical strikers to emerge from South America. Diego Forlan began his career at Atletico Madrid in the LaLiga before he earned himself a £6.9 million move to Manchester United in 2002. Forlan played at Old Trafford between 2002-04. While Forlan did not exactly live up to expectations in England, he seemingly did enough to remain in the hearts of the Old Trafford faithful 16 years after his departure from the club.
Diego Forlan turns 41

Throwback to when Diego Forlan played shirtless for Manchester United

Diego Forlan famously played shirtless for Manchester United at Old Trafford in a Premier League game against Southampton. Albeit for a few minutes, Diego Forlan failed to put on his shirt after celebrating a goal against the Saints which saw him take it off in celebration. However, as the game resumed, Forlan found it difficult to put on his jersey but continued to chase Southampton's Beattie who had the ball. He won the ball from his opponent before passing the ball to United's goalkeeper before heading to the bench to put his shirt on properly.

Diego Forlan Manchester United career

Diego Forlan did not spend much time in the Premier League having joined from Atletico Madrid in 2002. He made 63 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 10 goals along the way. However, he remains a cult figure in the minds of the Man United faithful courtesy of his impressive brace against rivals Liverpool in the Premier League.

Fans famously chanted "He came from Uruguay, he made the Scousers cry" and Forlan admitted that it still makes him smile. The Uruguayan was then sold to Villareal for whom he made 106 appearances, scoring 54 goals in the process. Between 2002-14, Diego Forlan made 112 appearances for the Uruguay national team and scored 32 goals. However, he is famously remembered for winning the Golden Ball award at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.