What happened to the players from Man United and Arsenal who competed for the Premier League championship in 2008?
Few would have foreseen that Manchester United's trip to Arsenal on Sunday would turn into a match that may be pivotal in the title chase before the start of the season.
In a similar crucial match played at Old Trafford 15 years prior, the Red Devils came from behind to defeat the Gunners 2-1 and go six points in front of them in their eventually successful chase of a 10th Premier League championship.
The best talent in English football was showcased in that game, but where are the participants from that contest today?
Edwin van der Sar is the goalkeeper for Manchester United.
Edwin van der Sar, one of the top goalkeepers in the team's recent history, joined Old Trafford in 2005 and stayed there for six trophy-filled seasons before retiring in 2011 as a European, English, and global champion.
After hanging up his gloves, Van der Sar was named marketing director of his old team Ajax in 2012, and in 2016 he was elevated to CEO, a position he continues to hold at the Dutch juggernauts today.
Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Gerard Pique, and Patrice Evra are the defenders.
Usher Brown
Wes Brown, a United youth graduate who entered the senior team, played as both a right-back and a center-back and rapidly established himself as a crucial component of one of the most successful defensive units in club history.
Brown also left in 2011, however before calling it quits on his playing career, he played for Sunderland, Blackburn, and even an Indian team called Kerala blasters. The former England star, who has a UEFA A license, is not coaching and has not made a comeback to the game.
R.O.I.T. F.
Rio Ferdinand, who is regarded as one of the best English center-backs of all time, spent 12 years with the Red Devils before departing at age 35 to play one season with QPR before retiring.
He has now achieved a comparable level of success as a reputable analyst for BT as well as the BBC, and he continues to have a close relationship with United while also coming out in support of his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo throughout his punditry career.
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