Dimitar Berbatov polarised opinion during his first season in Red, but crucial winning goals, assists aplenty and a bagful of breathtaking tricks tell their own story…

Start to finish: Berbatov's skill soon caught the eye following his deadline-day switch from Tottenham, and it wasn't long before he opened his account with a Champions League brace at Aalborg. Just as a certain mercurial Frenchman could change the flow of a game, United’s Bulgarian is equally effective. And, like Eric Cantona, he shares a knack for scoring important (often late) goals, as Middlesbrough and Bolton found out to their cost midway through the season. Berba really hit his stride around the New Year, with four goals in six league games, including that last-gasp header at the Reebok and a key goal against Chelsea in the 3-0 win. He also netted in the dramatic comeback against Spurs at Old Trafford in April.

In position: Although he was mainly deployed alongside Rooney, Berbatov also partnered Tevez, Ronaldo, Giggs and Welbeck in a fluidly rotated forward line.