Michael Carrick defied any critics of his £14m transfer from Tottenham by helping United to win the league in each of his first three seasons.
In his debut 2006/07 campaign, he carved out a formidable partnership with Paul Scholes and began to mature into one of English football's most sophisticated and classy passing midfielders. Thereafter he confounded those who'd said he'd slip down the pecking order following Owen Hargreaves' summer 2007 arrival.
The first of Carrick's title triumphs with United was also the first major honour of his professional career, although he did win the FA Youth Cup with West Ham in 1999, scoring twice in the 9-0 final
demolition of Coventry City.
West Ham loaned Carrick out to Swindon in 1999/2000 and then Birmingham in 2000/01 when he earned a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year, eventually won by Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.
Carrick spent much of the 2002/03 season sidelined with injury. West Ham were relegated at the end of it but rather than join Joe Cole, Fredi Kanoute and Jermain Defoe in an exodus, Carrick stayed for a season in the Championship. However, after losing the 2004 play-off final to Crystal Palace, Carrick decided he couldn't wait another year for a return to the Premier League and moved across London to join Tottenham in a transfer worth
