The thought of Nemanja Vidic charging into an opponent for Manchester United will still bring tears to the eyes of United fans and his old adversaries for very different reasons.
The term ‘no-nonsense defender’ could have been invented for the Serbian, who announced his retirement from the game this week.
At 34 he hasn’t had the best of times since his move to Inter in the summer of 2014.
He played 28 times in his first season at the Italian club but still hadn’t made an appearance in the first team this term when his contract was terminated by mutual consent in the middle of January.
After giving it some thought, Vidic decided to walk away from the game and he has put his retirement down to recent injuries suffered – probably as a consequence of his combative style.
The Daily Mail quotes him as saying:
‘The time has come for me to hang up my boots,’
‘The injuries I have had in the last few years have taken their toll.
‘I would like to thank all the players I have played with, all the managers and staff I have worked with, and say a big ‘thank you’ to the fans for their support over the years.’
It’s difficult to imagine a better blend of defensive talent than Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. For eight and a half seasons they partnered up as Manchester United enjoyed the most successful period in their history.
Vidic was the ridiculously hard defender who would regularly leave a fully-grown man flailing on the deck before giving a ‘who, me?’ expression to the referee. And Ferdinand had the technique and pace to mop up and start attacks with his wonderful passing.
Whoever comes into the club in future we can’t imagine them bettering the achievements of this pair.
While at Manchester United Vidic won The Premier League 5 times, The League Cup thrice, 5 Community Shields, The World Club Cup and, the crowning glory, The Champions League in 2008.
He will be as fondly remembered as any player in United’s recent history. It’s a great testament to a great player.
Let’s see Nemanja at his brutal best.
