Mikael Silvestre has fond memories of his Manchester United debut, as he tells FourFourTwo.
The former France defender joined United from Inter Milan in September 1999, after the Red Devils' arch-rivals Liverpool had tried to sign him.
And who should he make his Premier League bow against? The Reds, of course – at a cacophonous Anfield, no less.
Talking FFT through five games that changed his life, Silvestre recalls:
"My debut for Manchester United was special for so many reasons, especially because I’d been linked with a move to Liverpool. I flew over to England on the Thursday and two days later, I was on the pitch starting at Anfield. The noise was unbelievable and the fact I didn’t speak a lot of English actually helped, as I couldn’t properly understand what the fans in the stands were screaming!
"I remember Sir Alex Ferguson saying, ‘Enjoy it, son’ before kick-off. That gave me a big boost and also allowed me to relax. I hadn’t had much opportunity to consider playing in a match of that magnitude, which probably worked in my favour as well. I wasn’t watching TV very often back then and there was no social media, so it was easier to stay in my own bubble and remain focused."
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Silvestre went on to make 361 appearances for United, winning every major trophy on offer – culminating in Champions League glory in 2007/08, his final season at Old Trafford.
He joined Arsenal that summer, spending two years with the Gunners before moving on to Werder Bremen then seeing out his career with MLS club Portland Timbers and Indian Super League outfit Chennaiyin.
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