219: John O’Shea, Manchester United, Topps Match Attax Trading Card Game, 2009/10

The last in our fourth year anniversary collection of cult hero posts comes from Mat Jolin-Beech and takes us to his traditional stamping ground of Old Trafford and the production line of quality Manchester United talent from the Sir Alex Ferguson years. Over to Mat on one of Waterford’s most famous sons.

Cult heroes – those fan favourites than opposition fans and players love to hate. Or players that the homes fans love, despite them being a bit shit. That’s the definition right? Well, yes. But also no. It’s a very subjective thing and each club will have its own roster of cult heroes.

I’m lucky, although having recently lost to Fulham makes me doubt that statement, that being a Manchester United fan there is a big list to choose from. I was thinking about Park Ji-Sung but I’ve covered that tireless worker before. Another was Diego Forlan purely for those goals against Liverpool. But I’ll save him for another day. Today, it’s John O’Shea and first up: that goal against Arsenal.

The final goal in a 4–2 away victory against Arsenal where he executed a sublime chip over Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia from the edge of the 18-yard box. Topping it off, a Cantona-esque celebration. That alone would be enough to secure cult status. Added into the mix are the trophies he won during his time at Old Trafford: five Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two Football League Cups, four FA Community Shields, one FIFA Club World Cup and one Champions League. Other highlights include going in goal away to Spurs after Edwin van der Sar broke his nose. Not only that, he kept a clean sheet in the 4-0 win and got the better of Robbie Keane in a one-on-one which must have made for good banter come the next Ireland squad meet up.

But O’Shea was the ultimate utility man, have proved capable and dependable in any position he was called upon to play. Leaving United in July 2011, he headed to the northeast and to Sunderland, before heading to Reading in 2019 for one season (ask Emlyn how glorious it was…or wasn’t). But the wormhole for today is looking at how much players from ‘my era’ (God I feel so old writing that – when I still feel like my era is now) would cost on the transfer market today.

The reference point for this type of thing revolves around two Manchester United players past and present: one Cristiano Ronaldo and one Antony dos Santos. When Real Madrid came knocking back in 2009 they paid the grand total of £84.6m which was then a world record fee unless my memory is mistaken which, given that I am old, could well be the case. Then in the brave new Eric ten Hag era Man United the summer transfer window of 2022 saw us, eventually and not at all last minute, buy Anthony from Ajax, one of the many former ten Hag and Eredivisie players we have signed in his tenure, for £86m. One is arguably the GOAT – unless you’re a Messi fan boy. The other, just isn’t. He’s behind Amad Diallo for Pete’s sake and the only thing of note is that spin. That bloody spin.

So what would John O’Shea cost? Decent centre back, capable fullback and general all round decent utility player. What are we thinking here - £25m? £30m? Dare we say 40 big ones? Probably, especially given the home grown status he had. What this has also got me thinking about, and I’m not alone here, is just how bad Manchester United are at selling players. We literally had to give Van de Beek and Sancho away.

But that is a story for another time and to cheer myself up, I’m going to YouTube John O’Shea career highlights just for THAT goal against Arsenal. Ah the good ol’ days.