The player Manchester United bought to replace Cristiano Ronaldo has just scored an absolute worldie out in the States.
Hastily-forgotten flop Gabriel Obertan, 34, has had an almighty fall from grace over the past decade-and-a-half and is currently plying his trade at American third-tier side Charlotte Independence. Playing on an artificial pitch littered with NFL-style yard lines, the Frenchman showed a glimpse of the brilliance that attracted United's attention back in the day by smashing the ball home from the edge of the box after spinning away from a defender.
"Oh that's the class of a man who once played for Manchester United," the American commentator exclaimed, though in truth, said class was seldom seen during his miserable two-year stint at Old Trafford. After arriving from Bordeaux in 2009, Obertan scored just once in 28 sorry appearances before being unceremoniously bussed off to Newcastle in 2011.
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Sir Alex Ferguson had sky-high hopes for youngster, who broke into Bordeaux's first team aged just 17, and sang his praises after beating Arsenal and AC Milan to his signature: "Gabriel is a player we have tracked for a few years now … there is a goal in Gabby, there is no question of that."
Ferguson was bang on. There was 'a goal' Gabby, but nothing more. After being booted out of United he spent the next five seasons in and out of the team at Newcastle, registering a similarly-disappointing return of three strikes in 76 games, before leaving for Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala in 2016.
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He returned to England just five months later, joining Championship side Wigan, but moved on again at the end of the season, this time to Levski Sofia.
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Two seasons in Bulgaria ended in customary Obertan-flavoured disappointment despite run of decent form after he arrived and he left to sign for Turkish Super Lig side Erzurumspor in 2018, before eventually signing for Charlotte in 2021.
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