'I won't forget how I was treated at Man Utd after being dubbed best finisher'

Giuseppe Rossi fondly recalls his days at Manchester United and his treatment from Sir Alex Ferguson.

Rossi, now 38, broke through into the world of senior football at Old Trafford following his move from Parma, signing his first professional contract with the club in 2004. His talents quickly caught the eye of Ferguson, who quickly drew flattering parallels to Paul Scholes through his exceptional skills.

At the time, Ferguson said of the talent: "If you ask me who was the last striker with Rossi's potential to come through the ranks here, then I would definitely say Scholesy. They are different types of players but similar in ability.

"We have got great hopes for Rossi. He has shown, in his training performances in particular, a fantastic ability." Scholes himself is etched in the annals of Manchester United as one of their most celebrated figures, boasting an incredible trophy cabinet of eleven Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups, and two Champions Leagues, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Best known for his role in midfield, Scholes amassed a remarkable tally of 155 goals across 716 outings for the Red Devils across nearly two decades. As for Rossi, he made a name for himself with the reserve team before breaking into the senior squad in November 2004, replacing David Bellion late in a League Cup match against Crystal Palace in his first-team debut.

His first appearance in the Premier League for United came nearly a year later when he replaced Ruud van Nistelrooy in the 78th minute and scored nine minutes later, securing a 3-1 victory over Sunderland. Despite being surrounded by a wealth of talent during his time at the Theatre of Dreams, including the likes of Scholes, Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Rossi revealed that Ferguson treated everyone equally.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, he said: "He [Ferguson] treated me like a son. He did that with everyone," adding: "I expected perhaps a kind of divinity even in his attitudes to others. Instead, he was an easy-going person. He protected every player and treated everyone the same."

Despite a promising start to his Premier League career, Rossi didn't stay in the northwest of England for long. He was loaned out to Newcastle United at the beginning of the 2006/07 season to further develop as a player, scoring one goal in 13 games for the Magpies.

The Italian then moved to Parma for the second half of the season, impressing with nine goals and five assists from 20 games in total. However, Rossi struggled to find his footing when he returned to Manchester at the end of the season and was eventually sold to Villarreal for an undisclosed fee.

After six years in Spain, Rossi returned to Italy to play for Fiorentina in 2013 before moving on to Genoa, Real Salt Lake, and SPAL, finally retiring in July 2023.