The footballer who won a Premier League title at Manchester United and is now a professional tennis player

As one of the biggest football clubs in the world, Manchester United have had plenty of top players representing them over the years.

The Red Devils also had one of the best managers in English football history in charge at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson made a name for himself as a Premier League legend at Manchester United, leading them to a multitude of trophies between 1986 and 2013.

Many footballers who played under Fergie won silverware while at Old Trafford, and now, one such player is looking to get his hands on a trophy in professional tennis.

Diego Forlan’s Manchester United career

Diego Forlan enjoyed an impressive footballing career which saw him represent the likes of Man United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.

The 45-year-old is also one of Uruguay’s most iconic forwards, winning 112 caps and scoring 36 goals for his nation between 2002 and 2014.

Forlan’s career began in his native Uruguay in the youth setups of Penarol and Danubio, before joining Argentine club Independiente in 1994.

After making a name for himself at Independiente, Forlan was signed by Man United in January 2002, the club paying around £7million for his services.

Forlan took some time to get used to English football, making 18 appearances for the Red Devils in 2001/02 but failing to score.

His first goal for Man United came on 18 September 2002 as he scored a penalty in a 5-2 win over Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League.

All in all, Forlan made 98 appearances for Man United, registering 17 goals – including a brace in a 2-1 win over Liverpool in December 2002 – and nine assists.

Though his impact at Old Trafford was limited, he still got his hands on the 2002/03 Premier League title and also received an FA Cup winner’s medal in 2004.

Forlan also revealed in 2014 that Ferguson still kept in touch with him from time to time.

“The gaffer sent me several texts during the World Cup,” FourFourTwo quoted him as saying.

“He [Ferguson] offered support and encouragement, which I appreciated. He’s always watching and never misses anything.

“I also keep in touch with Mike Phelan, Rene [Meulensteen] and Martin, the manager’s brother.

“Players drift apart so I don’t have any contact with the players but I still have contact with United people.”

Forlan’s post-Man United career and switch to tennis

Forlan was sold to Villarreal in 2004 for a reported £2million fee, and he became a success for the Yellow Submarine, registering 59 goals and four assists from 127 outings.

His heroics for Villarreal led to Atletico Madrid signing him for around £18million in 2007, where he proved to be a revelation.

Forlan went on to register 96 goals and 31 assists in 198 appearances for the capital club, and won the Europa League in 2009/10 and the UEFA Supercup in 2010/11.

During that time, Forlan also shone at the 2010 World Cup, finishing as joint top scorer with five goals, winning the goal of the tournament, and winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

Forlan secured a move to Inter Milan in 2011, but sadly he wasn’t able to have much of an impact at the San Siro.

The twilight of Forlan’s career saw him play for the likes of Internacional, Cerezo Osaka, Penarol, Mumbai City and Kitchee before hanging up his boots in 2019.

Since July 2023, Forlan has been competing on the ITF Masters professional tennis tour, and is a ranked player in the 35+, 40+, and 45+ age categories.

And in November 2024, Forlan received a wildcard for the main doubles draw of the 2024 Uruguay Open in Montevideo, his first professional ATP tournament.

Forlan and Argentine partner Federico Coria lost 6-1 6-2 in 47 minutes to Bolivian pair Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos.

The former Man United forward was a promising junior tennis player and, now he’s no longer playing professional football, he has decided to follow his other childhood sporting passion.