On this day in 2002, Sir Alex Ferguson made one of his great "gaffes", when he signed Diego Forlan, the Uruguayan forward for £7.5 million. Despite being placed in the United first team immediately, United had to wait for 8 months, before his first goal, and a penalty to boot! He is best remembered for taking his shirt off, following scoring and running round the pitch unable to get the shirt back on. Forlan moved to Villarreal after 63 league games and 10 goals.
He made his debut on 29 January as a 76th-minute substitute for Ole Gunnar Solskjær in a 4–0 away win at Bolton Wanderers. He made his first start in 4–0 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur on 6 March. Forlán made 13 Premier League and five UEFA Champions League appearances in the 2001–02 season but did not score.
On 18 September 2002, Forlán came on as a 56th-minute substitute for Ryan Giggs in a Champions League match versus Maccabi Haifa. He scored his first United goal as an 89th-minute penalty in the 5–2 win. His first Premier League goal was a 77th-minute equaliser in a home 1–1 draw against Aston Villa on 26 October. In Forlán's next Premier League game, at home to Southampton on 2 November, he came on as a 79th-minute substitute for United's goalscorer Phil Nevill with the score at 1–1, and scored the winner with a dipping shot over Southampton goalkeeper Antti Niemi in the 85th minute. The goal also became notable due to his goal celebration, where he ripped off his jersey, but then struggled to put it back on as the game recommenced, with Forlan making a blocked tackle while shirtless!!!
| Senior career* | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2002 | Independiente | 80 | (37) |
| 2002–2004 | Manchester United | 63 | (10) |
| 2004–2007 | Villarreal | 106 | (54) |
| 2007–2011 | Atlético Madrid | 134 | (74) |
| 2011–2012 | Inter Milan | 18 | (2) |
| 2012–2014 | Internacional | 34 | (10) |
| 2014–2015 | Cerezo Osaka | 42 | (17) |
| 2015–2016 | Peñarol | 30 | (8) |
| 2016 | Mumbai City | 11 | (5) |
| 2018 | Kitchee | 7 | (5) |
| Total | 525 | (222) | |
| International career | |||
| 1999 | Uruguay U20 | ||
| 2002–2014 | Uruguay | 112 | (36) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2020 | Peñarol | ||
| 2021 | Atenas | ||
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