Having the opportunity to play in a Premier League club’s ‘Legends’ match is an incredible feat, especially if you never played for that team in your professional career.
Regardless, United fielded a lineup that included Wes Morgan and Julio Cesar in Saturday’s match in Doha. They put on an 11-goal clinic against a select group of World XI greats, joining a slew of former Red Devils in the lineup.
Not only that, but Nathan Dyer, a former Swansea City winger, also donned the famous red jersey, further adding to the list of unwritten rule breakers. Not to mention a couple of lesser-known players who were selected for the squad during the Legends Football League match.
Morgan, who is 39 years old, became famous as the captain of Leicester City when they won the Premier League for the first time in club history, barely two years after being promoted back to the top flight. Having won just one of eleven matches against the Red Devils, his record was less than stellar.
At the same time, Cesar is famous for his 87 appearances for Brazil and his five Serie A titles and Champions League trophy with Inter Milan. Despite spending two seasons with Queen’s Park Rangers, the 44-year-old was unable to secure a victory over United in his four efforts, with one draw.
The non-United members didn’t really matter in determining the final result in Dubai, though. After losing 8-3 against a World XI that featured players like Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo, Kaka, Didier Drogba, Robert Pires, and Man of the Match Clarence Seedorf, United’s Legends came out far behind.
Because the Legends Football League permits “impact players,” i.e., current or former United players or celebrities, the “non” United players could get some playing time.
United used a lineup that included Patrice Evra, Dwight Yorke, Dimitar Berbatov, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Antonio Valencia, Jesper Blomqvist, Danny Simpson, Wes Brown, and Mikel Silvestre, and they scored goals from Patrice Evra and Dwight Yorke. If the Legends want to step it up in upcoming games, it’s safe to assume they’ll need some additional A-listers.
Additional Legends Football League dates are set to take place in France, Qatar, and the UK. The Old Trafford greats may need to bring in a few more players to round out their roster before their January trip to India.