Manchester United - Dimitar Berbatov

Dimitar Berbatov is a classy and complete center forward, pairing the ability to ruthlessly and regularly find the net inside the box with the aptitude to create moments of sheer magic outside it.

Sir Alex likes players with plenty of charisma in the way they play, and the Bulgarian’s languid style is instantly recognisable on the field. It’s also an approach that has drawn comparisons with former United talisman Eric Cantona.

Like the captivating Frenchman, Berbatov loves to entertain with the ball at his feet, and he also shares Cantona's happy knack for scoring important (often late) goals, which he showed more than once in his first season at United.

Berbatov started out at Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia. He joined The Armymen aged 17, following in the footsteps of his father, Ivan, who also played for the club.

He was a regular goalscorer and his talent quickly attracted attention from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, who made their move in January 2001 after Berba's impressive start to the season for CSKA. National-team captain Berbatov made a slow start in Germany, but he regularly shone in the Champions League.

The only blot on his copybook is that he was part of the Leverkusen team that knocked United out of the Champions League semi finals in April 2002. He came on as a substitute in the final as the Germans lost 2-1 to Real Madrid.

Berbatov was eventually lured to the Premier League when Tottenham signed him in July 2006 for a reported £10.9million fee. He scored 23 goals in his opening season, which he matched again in 2007/08.

After months of speculation linking him with a move to Old Trafford in the summer of 2008, Sir Alex Ferguson finally got his man on transfer deadline day with just minutes to go. Berbatov signed a four-year contract on 1 September 2008 for an undisclosed fee.

Berbatov opened his account for the Reds the same month with two goals away at Aalborg in the Champions League, but was unfortunate to miss out on the Club World Cup in December through injury.

He struck up an effective partnership with Wayne Rooney in his debut season and finished with 14 goals in all competitions, including crucial league strikes against Middlesbrough, Bolton and Chelsea, as well as countless assists to help United to the title.

PROFILE: Birthdate: 30 Jan 1981
Birthplace: Blagoevgrad
Position: Striker
Appearances: 62
Goals: 18
Joined United: 01 Sep 2008
United Debut: 13 Sept 2008 v Liverpool (A)
International Bulgaria