He has managed to find time to comment on his future though, claiming they’ll be no problems over where he plays next season, whether it’s United or Real Madrid. Reinforcing his usual modest behaviour, Ronaldo claims it’s normal for great clubs to be interested in great players like him.

On the day where Rio Ferdinand has spoken of his disappointment that the summer which should have been spent reflecting on last season’s great success has revolved around Ronaldo, the winger seems happy enough to be at United for the time being.

“Great players are always wanted by great clubs. I’m not the only one,” Ronaldo said, speaking to a Spanish television channel. “It’s something normal. I’ve already been wanted in the past years, and I live it like a normal situation. Good players who are on the market are always wanted by clubs. To me it’s not strange. I want to be happy wherever I play. If I’m happy, confident, motivated, every place is good for me.”

When asked if he is anxious regarding his future, he quickly answered, laughing, “No. Not at all. You can ask me 40 questions about Manchester United and Real Madrid, what do you want me to tell you? That I’m leaving? I don’t know anything about my future. Only God knows.”

Every day it is looking more and more likely that Ronaldo is going to spend next season with United, which is something Sir Alex Ferguson has reinforced since the very start of the summer. However, many reds have hardened their hearts to Ronaldo and are unwilling to support him at the club next season. This arguably could be great news for us, considering we all know how well Ronaldo works when his back is up against the wall and he’s got a point to prove.

The last thing you want at your club is a player who wants to be elsewhere. So far, Ronaldo has talked of his dreams and what God knows, but there has been no desperation from him to be at Real Madrid starting next season. The lad obviously wants to go there one day, but as long as he’s not going to stamp his feet over it, it shouldn’t have negative effects on us next season.

Instead of the press lauding over our great success, the back pages have been filled with talk of Cristiano Ronaldo instead. The will-he-won’t-he saga concerning his move to Real Madrid has left even the most dedicated Ronaldo fan bored to tears.

Today, Rio Ferdinand has spoken out about his frustration over Ronaldo stealing the limelight this summer, whilst conceding the winger will be welcomed back at the club by the players.

“This summer, given the season we’ve just had, should have been a time to think about our achievements,” Ferdinand said. “In the end that became impossible because of the stuff going on with Cristiano. The players can’t wait to see him back. There won’t be any problems between Cristiano and the rest of the squad because we have always stood by what Sir Alex Ferguson has said all along - Cristiano will be a United player next season. Cristiano is a great guy. He never has any problems with anyone in the squad and I’m sure that will be the same when he comes back through the door.”

Tapping up scandals seem to be all the rage this summer, so Spurs didn’t want their street cred to be done harm, so decided to join themselves in on the action.

“We have made Tottenham an offer on Berbatov and we have good expectations that this deal will go through,” Sir Alex Ferguson was quoted as saying in The Sun. “Berbatov has been impressive during a long time and would be a great addition to our attack. I think time will work for us more than against us. We will not stress this situation. We are hoping to have a constructive conversation with Tottenham in the near future.”

Well Daniel Levy has gone apeshit on this, talking of United’s arrogance, claiming our behaviour has been disgraceful, hypocritical (can you imagine?), and going as far to say it’s the worst offence by any Premier League manager to date. Wow.

Today, Fergie got wind of Levy’s rant and has labelled it embarrassing, showing why we shouldn’t believe everything we read in the papers…

“It’s going to be very embarrassing for them (Spurs) because it appears to be on the basis of a story in The Sun,” said Ferguson. “I don’t know where the hell they got those quotes from, but it certainly wasn’t from me. It’s embarrassing for them, but you know what Daniel Levy is like. He’s different. It’s something to ask (United chief executive) David Gill about because I haven’t really spoken to him about it today because I’ve been preparing for the match. I haven’t read it, but I’m sure our legal people will be looking at it before I do.”

Ouch.

I only wish I got to see Levy’s face when he opens up the Sunday Mirror tomorrow morning and reads what Sir Alex Ferguson makes of his drama-queen accusations…

After losing out on the player two years ago, it seemed as though Fergie was finally going to get his man. However, a press statement from Tottenham Hotspur later in the day threw a spanner in the works. Apparently Ferguson is a hypocrite…

“Today’s public comments by Manchester United’s manager, announcing that he has made an offer for Dimitar and is confident that the deal will go through with time working in their favour, is a blatant example of sheer arrogance and interference with one of our players,” said Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, in a statement on the club’s official website. “It is also probably one of the worst offences by any manager in the Premier League to date and is unbelievably hypocritical given his recent comments in respect of Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid. As a result, we have today made an official complaint to the PL about the conduct of Manchester United.”

Spurs have also thrown their dummy out where the dippers’ pursuit of Robbie Keane is concerned, reporting Liverpool to the Premier League as well.

“The behaviour of both clubs has been disgraceful,” Levy continued. “We told both clubs very early on that we had no interest in selling Robbie or Dimitar, respectively, and that they should refrain from pursuing the player. Both clubs arrogantly chose to ignore this request and we now have evidence that both clubs have systematically been working to prise the players away from us, outside of PL rules of conduct.”

Now, whilst I imagine Spurs aren’t overjoyed at the prospect of losing two of their strikers, I cannot abide by this cry-baby approach they are resorting to, as to compare this with the situation we have with Ronaldo is quite simply moronic.

Firstly, let’s take a look at what the respective clubs have been saying all summer about these transfer targets.

Juande Ramos

“We know the situation of Berbatov and we are calm about it,” he said in April. “If a team comes along and pays the asking price the chairman wants then possibly yes.”

“Berbatov is with us at the moment and we are going to enjoy having him with us,” he said at the beginning of May. “If he goes, we will have to look for a replacement for him but if not he will be here.”

“We will see what happens there, but we are talking about two very important players,” he said this week, in reference to Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane. “For the moment they are with us, but whatever happens the idea is to have a great squad, with the potential to allow us to aim to improve on what we managed last season. At Tottenham, we have had a clear philosophy regarding buying and selling for years. The idea is signing young players, promising and talented ones, and if important offers for older players are made, studying it to see what is the best for the club.”

Sir Alex Ferguson

“I can say he’ll be a Manchester United player next season,” Ferguson said this week. “That’s our stance, he won’t be sold.”

Ronaldo is not for the sale has been the message from the United camp since the start of this saga. There has been no conflict of opinion coming out of Old Trafford. Ronaldo won’t be sold, rather will, without any doubt, start next season as a United player.

How then can Real Madrid’s following of Cristiano Ronaldo, where his club have on all occasions denied there being any chance the player will leave, be compared to United’s following of Berbatov, where his club have been open to his transfer? Quite simply, it can’t.

Secondly, to call Ferguson a hypocrite suggests that he is guilty of what Real Madrid have been doing all summer. Whilst Ferguson has spoken to the press this week about Berbatov, to liken that to the stalking Ronaldo has received over the past few months is absolutely ridiculous.

Now, had Fergie been speaking to the press about his intentions over Berbatov regularly, I’d understand this claim he is a hypocrite. However, considering Fergie has spoken to the club and given the impression that the transfer was going to go through, why then should he be prevented from voicing this to the media? The Spurs manager has said if the price is right, the player can go. Should then Fergie presume that this isn’t the case at all?

Of course, we don’t know what was said in the private meetings between United and Spurs, we can only speculate. Spurs could have said categorically that there is no chance the player will be sold - but if that was the case, why would they be meeting with United in the first place? United haven’t held any meetings with Real Madrid to tell them they’ve got no chance, afterall. Or more likely, in my opinion, Spurs have told United they need to stump up more cash, or the deal won’t happen. Fergie will be waiting for clearance from the Glazers over the asking price and then further meetings can take place, with the hopeful conclusion, as Fergie mentioned, that Berbatov joins United.

Spurs are clearly trying to save face, fully aware that there is every chance they are going to lose out on both Keane and Berbatov, who are fed up of being promised glory, yet seeing little evidence to back it up. The strikers scored 23 goals each last season, so there isn’t much chance of the fans being happy to see them both leave. “Well it’s alright, at least we’ve got Darren Bent,” are not going to be the words crossing many Spurs’ fans lips at the moment. Of course Spurs can’t be seen to be selling these players without a fight, so this is where the pathetic report to the Premier League comes in.

Berbatov is a quality player and I think he’d add a lot to our side, however the behaviour of Spurs in this situation has pushed me over the edge, and they need to be careful it doesn’t work up Fergie’s temper in the same way. Their manager has told the press on numerous occasions that the player will be sold for the right price. This week, Fergie has said he believes they have met this price so expects the player to come to United. If Spurs have a problem, then they need to have a word with their touting manager, not the bloody Premier League!

United are reported to be offering close to three times what Spurs paid for Berbatov just two summers ago. We bought Michael Carrick off them for six times what they’d paid for him two summers before. They’ve made an absolute killing in the transfer market where United are concerned and now they’re going to pull a stunt like this?

Well screw them, as far as I’m concerned. United and Liverpool should both pull out of the deals, leaving Spurs with two strikers who desperately want to play for another team and who will resent Tottenham for denying them moves to their desired clubs, playing Champions League football.

Sorry Berb!

“We have made Tottenham an offer on Berbatov and we have good expectations that this deal will go through,” said Fergie. “Berbatov has been impressive during a long time and would be a great addition to our attack. I think time will work for us more than against us. We will not stress this situation. We are hoping to have a constructive conversation with Tottenham in the near future.”

Spurs manager, Juande Ramos, has indicated that the club would be open to selling, if the price was right.

“Berbatov fumes as Spurs drag out his move to United” read the headline in The Guardian this week, after the London club strived to ensure they made as much money as possible on the transfer. Berbatov may very well be annoyed, but this whole situation could have been avoided had he made the right decision back in 2006!

Following a string of temper tantrums and inability to accept that he had no more right to a place in the first XI than anyone else at the club, Ruud van Nistelrooy left United for Real Madrid. I remember frantically checking the transfer rumours every day, waiting for news on his replacement being announced. That news never came (and still hasn’t!)

Berbatov had signed for Spurs two months previously and our options were limitted. After finishing second and winning the League Cup, it felt as though we were several players short from building a team that was capable of challenging Chelsea for the title. Why had Berbatov signed for Spurs?

He had a choice between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. United had finished 2nd in the league whilst Spurs missed out on a top 4 finish, and Champions League football, after a bout of illness rocked the Spurs camp on the final day of the season.

Spurs had been in the chase for the Bulgarian longer than United, so admirably, Berbatov decided to sign for the club that had shown him the most interest.

“What can I say? Spurs stood by me the whole time and sometimes that’s more important,” Berbatov said. “As a matter of fact I spoke with one of the management of Manchester United. They had a problem with Van Nistelrooy. I could not wait so long, so I decided to come here. When I only had six goals in the Bundesliga last season they said we like you and we want to be buy you. But Leverkusen said, ‘No, we don’t want you to go’. Over a period of six months Tottenham kept saying, ‘We like you, we want you to come here’. They were always in contact with the club. Then I scored 21 goals and they settled on a price. It was a long-standing interest. They could have bought anyone but they decided on me. I appreciated that.”

His attitude was admirable, deciding to honour the persistence and dedication shown by Spurs by agreeing a deal with them. It would be nice to think that this same respect could be shown in return, now that he has spent two years at the club, scoring 23 goals a season, but football doesn’t work like that, not anymore.

Spurs will push United for every penny they have, unconcerned at how desperately their player wants a move to United. This leaves both the players, clubs and fans in limbo, waiting for a resolution, but if Spurs manage to bump up the transfer fee to £28 million, making £18 million on the player (and not for the first time either!) then they won’t be too concerned!

Of course, I’m not really laying in to Berbatov for his decision to join Spurs. I do think it was an admirable move and the only criticism he can face is that he is naive. To think that you will be rewarded by the club for going out on a limb to join them is far too simple minded. The world of football is now the world of business and Spurs are right to try and make as much money as they possibly can on their player.

So for now, Berbatov will have to be left fuming, although I’m sure the completion of the transfer isn’t far off now.

On Saturday we play our first match, our oppnents the Kaizer Chiefs, who beat us in 2006 to claim the trophy.

Kaizer Motaung Junior is the player to look out for, who is the son of South African legend and Chiefs founder, Kaizer Motaung. The 26-year-old was the club’ highest scorer last season, as well as claiming their goal of the season.

Fergie will be using this tournament to bring about fitness in the first teamers, as well as test out which youngsters will get the chance to feature next season

Below is the list of all the players who have been the journey to South Africa.

Goalkeepers: Foster, Kuszczak, Amos. Defenders: Brown, Evans, Ferdinand, Neville, O’Shea, Silvestre, Simpson, Vidic. Midfielders: Carrick, Eagles, Fletcher, Gibson, Giggs, Martin, Scholes. Strikers: Rooney, Tevez, Campbell.

Which line-up do you expect to see in our first match?

Hargreaves made his United debut during derby day at Wastelands. I was massively impressed with his performance. Unlike Michael Carrick, who I do rate very highly, Hargreaves had the presence in the centre of midfield we’d been lacking since Keane left. He took the game by the scruff of the neck and controlled the midfield. If there was anything positive to come from losing to the bitters, it was the anticipation of what a great player Hargreaves could be for us.

Whilst leaving us with nothing to really complain about, Hargreaves’ season hasn’t really matched the expectation that came following his debut. We wanted him to make a massive impact, but for one reason or another, that hasn’t been the case.

The 27-year-old will miss out on the tour of South Africa, following the reoccurrence of his tendonitis problem, meaning Hargreaves will be forced to hit the ground running at the start of next season, in the absence of Ronaldo, Nani and Anderson. Is this something we need to be concerned about?

“Owen has a tendonitis problem in his knee again – the same as he had at beginning of last season,” said Sir Alex Ferguson. “He’s had a series of injections on it with the specialist and he’s training at the moment, it’s just the matches he’s not involved in just yet. Some people are more susceptible [to this kind of injury]. Norman Whiteside used to have trouble with his knees in pre-season. Owen has started training again after a few weeks off, the ground is firm at the moment and that maybe brought it on.”

Louis Saha has left most United fans frustrated beyond belief with his constant injuries making him an entirely unreliable player to have in our squad. Whilst Hargreaves isn’t quite at that stage, he still has struggled with injuries to quite a large extent. In September and October he featured in just two matches after suffering with tendonitis and thigh strain.

However, his fitness improved massively over the second half of the season, with Hargreaves proving to be an effective right back as well as central midfielder, with this epitomised with his full back duties in both legs against Barcelona, where we managed to progress without conceding.

Here is a player I want to see a lot more of in the future, imposing himself on our midfield and providing a positive, strong influence in our game. However, because of his injuries at United, as well as the broken leg he suffered in his last year at Bayern, we are left to wonder whether Hargreaves can ever be the figure at United we’ve expected and wanted him to be.

When United stood to win the league on goal difference last season, questions were raised as to whether the success would mean as much as if you won it on points outright. Again, if when accumulating the points over 38 games you prove you have a better attack in the league, by scoring more goals than your title rivals, and a better defence, by conceding fewer goals than your title rivals, you are the best team in the country.

However, for a team to be named “the best in Europe”, the criteria is more hazy, as cup competitions are not always won by the best side entering (last season’s FA Cup final between Premiership side Portsmouth, who finished 8th, and Championship side Cardiff, who finished 12th, is testament to that). Whilst winning the Champions League is a huge achievement, regardless of how you compare in your domestic league, lifting the European Cup does not guarantee you are the best side on the continent.

When AC Milan won the Champions League the season before last, they finished 4th in Serie A (Without Juventus’ relegation for match fixing, they would have likely been placed 5th), some 36 points behind the Champions Inter Milan, with an inferior goal difference of 25.

When Liverpool won the competition the season before, they finished 5th in the league, a massive 37 points behind the Champions Chelsea, with a goal difference lacking in 46 goals.

Fortunately for United, when looking at our two most recent European Cup wins, there can be little doubt over who was the best team in Europe for those seasons.

1999 winners - Manchester United

This was the year of the unprecedented Treble, where United were the first team in English football history to claim the league title, European Cup and FA Cup in the same season. The football that side played was exquisite, brushing aside our opponents with devastating skill and exciting performances. The trophies alone are evidence enough to suggest we were the greatest side in all of Europe back then, but here is further weight to the argument.

In the group stages, United were put in with Barcelona (who, as already mentioned, won their league that season) and Bayern Munich, who were crowned German champions at the end of that season. It was a ridiculously difficult group, yet United finished top and didn’t lose a match.

In the quarter finals, United beat the 2nd best team in Italy, Inter Milan, 2-0 at home and drew 1-1 away. In the semis, we drew at home to the Italian Champions at home and beat them 3-2 away, coming back from 2-0 down. In the final, we beat the German Champions, Bayern Munich, in 90 minutes, scoring 2 injury time goals. Whilst ABUs will scorn we were lucky that evening in the Nou Camp, for me, the victory points to United’s refusal to be beaten. We wanted that European Cup more than Bayern and made sure it was us who had their hands on the trophy come the final whistle. Despite being without, arguably, our two most influential players, in Paul Scholes and Roy Keane, we battled on and claimed the victory.

Best team in Europe? United. Milan were Serie A Champions, yet won nothing else, whilst Barcelona did the same in Spain.

Games lost: 0

2005 winners - Liverpool

As already mentioned, Liverpool’s form in their domestic league that season was so poor that they didn’t even qualify by right to compete in the Champions League the following season. They lost close to 1/3 of their matches in the Premier League and weren’t even the best side in Liverpool, with Everton finishing 3 points ahead of them. Whilst there was a gap of 37 points between them and Chelsea, there were only 26 points separating them from the bottom placed team, Southampton.

Dropping out of the title race before the turn of the year, Rafael Benitez turned his efforts to the Champions League. He didn’t have a side anywhere near being strong enough to compete for the title, so rested his players in the league in order that they were fresh for Europe.

Liverpool lost to Olympiacos and Monaco in the group stages, progressing to the next round on goal difference, following a Deportivo own goal and late goals against Olympiacos in the final game.

They beat the 6th best team in Germany, Bayer Levekusen, in the first knock out round. They then went on to beat Juventus in the quarter-finals, where the club finally paid their respects to the 39 Italians who lost their lives following their fans riots at Heysel. The Italians were not impressed that the dippers had taken 20 years to acknowledge their wrong doings though, turning their backs on the Liverpool fans and whistling throughout the minute’s silence. They then went on to beat Chelsea in the semi-finals, courtesy of a Luis Garcia goal which never should have stood, as it did not cross the line. Liverpool fans claim that a penalty would have been awarded, had the goal not stood, however considering Baros’ foot was level with Cech’s head in the lead up to the ‘ghost goal’, a freekick should have been awarded in Chelsea’s favour.

In their final against AC Milan, Liverpool went in 3-0 down at half time, with the match seemingly won. However, within 10 minutes of the restart, Steven Gerrard dived in the box, earning Liverpool a penalty, which started the comeback. Liverpool finished the 90 minutes at 3-3, then went on to win a penalty shoot out.

Best team in Europe? Barcelona have an argument to claim this title, winning their league as well as the Supercopa. Liverpool? You’re having a laugh aren’t you.

Games lost: 3 (Liebherr GAK, Olympiacos, Monaco)

2007 winners - AC Milan

AC Milan were initially banned from the 2006-2007 Champions League following a match fixing scandal from the previous season. However, UEFA went back on their decision, just as they did with Porto this summer, and Milan’s undeserved place saw them go on to win the competition.

In Serie A, their inital 15 point deduction was rescinded to just 8 points, and they finished 4th. Even without the point deduction, they would have ended the season in 3rd position, 28 points behind champions Inter Milan. They won just half the league games they played and in terms of points, they were closer to the team who finished last, Messina, than they were to the champions.

Milan lost to AEK Athens and Lille in the group stages, before beating Celtic in extra time in the next round. They overcame the 4th placed team in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich, in the quarter finals. In the semis, they lost to United at Old Trafford, before beating us 3-0 in the San Siro. Four days before this fixture, United went all out to come from 2-0 down against Everton to eventually secure 3 points in a much needed 4-2 to keep our title chances alive. In contrast, Milan were well out of their title race, so rested their best players.

However, I was supporting them in the final, which they easily won 2-1 against Liverpool.

Best team in Europe? Inter Milan have a strong claim to this title, winning the league, as well as finishing runners up in the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa. Like Liverpool in 2005, AC Milan were not even the best side in their city that year.

Games lost: 3 (Lille, AEK, United)

2008 winners - Manchester United

United won the league with more goals scored, fewer goals conceded and more games won than any other team.

With a game still to play in the group stages, United had secured their top spot in the group with 5 wins out of 5, seeing away the 2nd best sides in Italy and Portugal. In the next round, United knocked out the eventual winners of the French league, Lyon, who had won the title consecutively for the past 6 seasons. In the quarter finals, we beat Roma home and away. In the semi-finals, we knocked out Barcelona courtesy of a Paul Scholes screamer, after preventing the talents of Messi, Eto’o, Henry and Deco getting much of a look in on goal.

In the final we faced Chelsea, who were totally battered for the first half, yet were allowed back in to the game following a ball in to the box which took a deflection off two United players, before Lampard put the ball past Edwin Van der Sar, whose slip on the wet pitch prevented him from saving (as John Terry would later fall victim to). Chelsea came back in the second half and it was game on up until the end of extra time. A penalty shoot out ensued, and in sudden death, United were victorious.

Best team in Europe? United. Real Madrid (beaten by Roma in the CL first knockout round) were champions of Spain, yet won nothing else, and champions of Italy, Inter (beaten by Liverpool in the CL first knockout round), did the same.

The ideal way to win the European Cup is to prove you are the best team in your country before the final. However, even to narrowly miss out on the title, yet still win the Cup is testament to the fact you are at least there, or there abouts, as the European elite. The true measure of a team is whether they can compete in both their league as well as in Europe. However, the fact that so few teams manage this really adds weight to the argument that if you win both competitions, you are the best in Europe. If we look over the past 10 years, only 4 teams have successfully done this; United did it in 2008, Barcelona in 2006,  Bayern Munich in 2001 and United in 1999. (FC Porto could be included in this also, after their league and Champions league double in 2004, but the Portuguese Liga is considered weaker than the domestic leagues of England, Spain, Italy and Germany).

The only way for the team to be crowned Champions of Europe to stand for exactly that, is if UEFA limit the qualification to the top 2 sides in each league. However, with the revenue so many teams in the competition bring, this is unlikely to happen any time soon, if ever.

However, as United fans, we can proud knowing that our past two Champions League titles have come with our team going undefeated in the competition, as well as being crowned champions of England. That is an accomplishment that no one can argue with. The fact that Sir Alex Ferguson has created two different teams that can be said to be the best in Europe is a truly remarkable achievement… and he hasn’t finished yet!

Cristiano Ronaldo, Alexander Hleb, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry and Emmanuel Adebayor are the most high profile of these players who appear to be looking for a move away from their clubs.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United as a spotty teenager and could leave this summer, five years later, as the best player in the World. Alexander Hleb left the 5th best team in Germany, Stuttgart, and at the end of his first season was playing in the Champions League final. Frank Lampard joined Chelsea as an average midfielder, whose on fans at West Ham cheered when he was carried off the pitch with a broken leg. He has since been named the 2nd best player in the World, winning two league titles, two League Cups and the FA Cup. Gareth Barry worked his way up the ranks at Aston Villa after the club forked out £2.5 million for him when he was a teenager. He has since claimed the record for the youngest player to reach 300 Premiership appearances. Adebayor left Monaco with an unimpressive scoring record, 1 league from 13 in the last season, 9 in 35 the season before, and 8 in 31 the year preceding that. Last season with Arsenal, he was the second highest scorer in the league.

Hleb is the first of these players to move to his chosen destination and when revealed to the press yesterday as seen kissing the Barcelona badge. This is often a cringing exercise at the best of times, but to be partaking in the ol badge kiss on the day of signing is insulting to both Arsenal and Barcelona fans.

FreshLegs.org today wrote an article addressing the current climate of World football in regards to badge-kissing and loyalty.

On SoccerLens.com you will see an article I wrote addressing the problems of loyalty in football today, focussing particularly on fat boy Lampard.

In more recent years, we have seen Wayne Rooney kissing our badge, particularly when we play against Everton. The ‘once a blue always a blue’ stunt from his youth has come back to haunt him, and whilst now looking to be a lifelong red, his badge kissing appears more to be a wind up technique directed at his former fans, who despise him.

Sadly, whatever footballers think about their present situation, money, bigger clubs, more success and new challenges can often lure them elsewhere. Steven Gerrard kisses his badge but has handed in two transfer requests (so the song goes).

Players like Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are sadly few and far between, but we don’t see them giving the badge a smooch whenever the opportunity arises. Scholes scored the goal that put Manchester United through to the final of the European Cup, yet he didn’t go searching for the badge. In recent times, Gary Neville is the only one of these three who has had much to do with the badge, holding it up proudly to those bitter scouse bastards after Rio Ferdinand’s last minute winner. He wasn’t doing it for show, trying to prove how much of a red he was, because he doesn’t need to kiss the badge to let the fans know how deeply he loves our club.

Now we have players kissing the badge of their club before they’ve even played a game for them! Seriously, I despair. Where will our great game end up?

So, what do you make of this badge kissing business?

Along with all the designs for our great players and successes, a couple of discounted designs have been added especially for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s testimonial, which will be played next month.

Look below for some of the designs available.