Following Paul Scholes' return from retirement and Manchester United's issues settling in a new number one goalkeeper, Edwin Van der Sar has revealed people have been asking whether he has any plans on doing the same.

"I got a few text messages from friends saying, 'What about you?'," Van der Sar said.

Following the final whistle on Tuesday, Darron Gibson was beaming about the winning goal he scored against Manchester City. Not only did he push Everton in to the top half of the table, but he also put United on equal points with City at the top.

"I know my phone will be packed with texts from United," he said.

szólj hozzá: E1-0M

With about half an hour left to go in last night's game against Stoke, a roar came from the Stretford End, followed by a loud chorus of "the city is yours, the city is yours, 20,000 empty seats, are you fucking sure?"

It was clear that Everton had taken the lead.

Ahead of this weekend's FA Cup game against Liverpool, Andy Cole has reflected on his time playing for United at Anfield.

Cole scored at Anfield in our 3-1 win in the 1996-1997 season, scored two there the following season, and again in 1999.

"When I was in the team I used to love playing at Anfield," he told the official site.

"PICTURE: Gibson In Everton Shirt" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.

Coventry City are set to wear their 1987 Retro Shirts in Saturday's FA Cup 3rd Round encounter with Southampton, to mark their 25th anniversary of their 3-2 extra-time win over Tottenham. So what has become of the history making men behind their one and only major trophy success.

Steve Ogrizovic GK (54): Oggy as he is known at the Ricoh Arena is still part of the Coventry set-up where he is currently the clubs Goalkeeping coach.

Former Manchester United player, Lee Martin, has taken time out to answer a few questions for RoM on his time at the club and what he's been up to since.

STR: You joined United when you were a kid. How confident were you of making it for the first team then?

LM: I was never confident I was ever good enough to play in United's first team.

Ahead of returning to Old Trafford for the first time since leaving for Newcastle, Gabriel Obertan has claimed his friend and former team mate, Patrice Evra, is going to be in for a difficult afternoon.

"You always want to go back to your old club and prove to the gaffer that you are a better player," Obertan said.

Danny Simpson, who spent 12 years at Manchester United, has today claimed that when he comes back with Newcastle this weekend he is coming for three points.

Simpson, who is from Salford, admits to still being a United fan but insists it will be strictly professional on Saturday.

"I can't wait.

Nicky Butt has today revealed that he has started taking his coaching badges to fulfil his ambition of becoming a manager.

"I've started my badges now and am getting the hours in," Butt said. "I'll get assessed in the next five or six months. I go to Carrington a lot and just watch, I don't really take any of the sessions.

Echoing the sentiments of Kieran Richardson this week, another former Manchester United youth product at Sunderland, Wes Brown, has claimed he is looking forward to returning to Old Trafford this weekend.

"It'll be good. I'm really looking forward to going back to Old Trafford," said Brown.

It took Sir Alex Ferguson over three years to win his first trophy with Manchester United, after taking over the club during the 86-87 when the club had sunk to the relegation zone.

Steve Bruce, who captained United to their first title win in 92-93, has reflecting on the turning point in Ferguson's reign.

Kieran Richardson joined Manchester United as a teenager and showed great promise down the left wing. He made his England début when he was 20-years-old and scored twice, seeming to be another youth product ready to make his mark at United.

However, poor form and unimpressive attitude made him unpopular amongst United fans, with him receiving jeers from some when he scored against Watford in the FA Cup semi-final in 2007 and even when he lifted the Premier League trophy later that year.

The club has released a statement in response to the remarks made by Owen Hargreaves this week:

Manchester United is disappointed with Owen Hargreaves' remarks after the game on Wednesday. The Club gave him the best possible care for three years and is as disappointed as anyone he was not able to play a part in the team's success at that time.

Days before signing for Manchester City, Owen Hargreaves claimed that he had offered to play for United for free, only to be told he was no longer required by the champions.

"I don't blame them for letting me go. I can understand it," he said. "There comes a point when you have to say this hasn't worked out.

Owen Hargreaves had a phenomenal début season for Manchester United, contributing heavily to the second most successful season in our club's history, winning the league title and European Cup. The moments that stand out of him are probably the penalty against Chelsea in the Champions League final and the freekick against Arsenal in the league on the day it felt like we had won the title.

Following his move to Sunderland, John O'Shea has spoken to The Irish Times about his time at Manchester United.

Did you leave United because you were looking for a change of scenery?

"No. I always said that the manager would come and tell me what games I'd be able to get and different things.

Reports today claim that Owen Hargreaves is on the brink of signing for Manchester City after spending three hours at Bridgewater Hospital earlier today.

Hargreaves recently revealed that he offered to play for United for free this season but the club declined. However, he said he was in great shape and ready to make 40 appearances for a club this season.

Owen Hargreaves has given a frank interview today in The Daily Mail where he discusses his injury hell as well as his hopes for the future. He doesn't have an agent and offered to play for United for free this season, showing the measure of the man, and sadly, making his story all the more heart breaking.

Much to the disappointment of lots of reds, Wes Brown left the club for Sunderland earlier in the transfer window.

Having played in just seven league games last season, Brown realised it was time for him to move on.

"I spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson," said Brown. "I decided it was probably for the best that I moved as it didn't look like I would be playing much this season.

Sir Alex Ferguson explained one of the reasons why Manchester United did offer Carlos Tevez a new contract was the Argentinian's plans to retire from football.

"Tevez told us he was only going to play for four more years," he said. "If we had signed him on a five-year contract knowing that he was going to quit in four, there would have been no re-sale value for us.

I was 8 years old when John Barnes parted ways with Liverpool, for this reason i don't remember too much of the Jamaican born winger but my first memory of Barnes was watching a countdown of footballing moments programme with my Dad. That famous moment in 1984 when John Barnes weaved through the Brazilian defence like it wasn't even there will forever amaze me, no matter how many times i replay

Salford lad Danny Simpson, who made his way up through the ranks at Manchester United before joining Newcastle, has today said he hopes his team get a result against Chelsea to help us win the league.

A point from the next two games will be enough to ensure that United are crowned Champions, but if Newcastle take points off Chelsea, it would mean we could lose our next two games and still win the league.

Gerard Pique has spoken fondly of Rio Ferdinand, who acted as a mentor for him in his time at Manchester United.

"What you have to remember about Rio is that he always cost so much money," Pique said. "He has always had to maintain a very high level to justify the price tags. That is why the fact that he has always performed game after game, season after season, at such a high level has so much value.

Gerard Pique has reflected on his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United in an interview with The Independent. Pique joins the long list of ex-players who has so many nice things to say about the manager.

"My style suits Barcelona's style of play," said Pique.

There was a time for Liverpool fans when the name "Michael Owen" was uttered, we felt proud. Nowadays however, after the Liverpool starlet went from Anfield to Bernabeu to St James' Park and then to Old Trafford, feelings have somewhat changed. I've been meaning to do a past players post on Michael Owen for months, partly because i can start by voicing my own opinions on the saga but secondly

Patrick Vieira was interviewed by SportingIntelligence.com and asked which players would make his best XI from all the years he's played in England.

Remarkably, Vieira's team, which he couldn't restrict to just eleven players, was filled with Manchester United players, some Arsenal players, and nobody from his current club, Manchester City.

Lee Sharpe has joined the green and gold campaign to be part of fans' bid to to get rid of the Glazers. Unlike David Beckham, who denied all understanding of what the colours represented after wearing the scarf after our Champions League game against AC Milan last season, Sharpe is happy to put his name behind the campaign.

Gabriel Heinze, who spent three years at Manchester United before two seasons at Real Madrid, winning the league at both, has claimed that United is the most special club in the world.

"I cannot wait for the chance to go back onto the pitch at Old Trafford because this is the most special club of all, and I include Real Madrid in this list," said Heinze.

Patrice Evra claims that Gabriel Heinze, whose place he took in the team, will receive a standing ovation from Manchester United fans when he plays at Old Trafford.

I can only assume Evra is underestimating the feelings Heinze's demand to join Liverpool inspired in United fans.

"Gaby has been playing well for Marseille," he said.

Gabriel Heinze had been a fans' favourite at Old Trafford, with the crowd loving him for his strong tackling and tough nature. "Argentina!" we would chant when he got stuck in to a really meaty challenge. After Patrice Evra became Manchester United's first choice left-back, Gabriel Heinze wasn't prepared to work for his place in the team, and he was off.

Congratulations to top red Phil Neville for knocking Chelsea out of the FA Cup today.

After leading his team to extra time, Everton like they would be making their exit from the competition after Frank Lampard put Chelsea ahead. But with a couple of minutes of extra time remaining, Leighton Baines stepped up to score a cracking freekick to take it to penalties.

Former Manchester United defender, Gerard Pique, expressed his happiness over our win against Blackpool tonight.

Wow! Man Utd finally won after losing 2-0 against Blackpool! Great! I go to sleep and hope that tomorrow we match against Almeria!

"Pique Happy United Beat Blackpool" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.

Arsenal and Chelsea were both interested in signing Craig Cathcart but instead he chose to join the ranks at Manchester United. He made his way up through the ranks and was named captain.

However, after not progressing as much as the club hoped, he was allowed to leave for Blackpool at a bargain price at the start of this season.

Dwight Yorke has reflecting upon becoming Manchester United's record signing when he joined from Aston Villa for £12.8m in August 1998.

"You go from being pretty well-known to being public property," he said. "The expectation level rose from the change in clubs rather than the fee itself.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has revealed that he has apologised to Sir Alex Ferguson for the way he behaved after not playing in the League Cup final of 2006.

Louis Saha was in the in form striker and the highest scorer in the League Cup that season, meaning Ruud started the game from the bench. Sir Alex opted to bring on new signings Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic to give them a taste of success so early in their United careers, as well as youngster Kieran Richardson, so he could win his first trophy with the club.

My first memory of Alex Bruce was watching him as a young lad on Steve Bruce's excellent 'Captain's Log' video. He grew up as a red and played for our academy but was released when he was 16-years-old.

However, the coaches at our academy had spotted something in him and were in the process of helping him change positions from the striker he had hoped to be when he was 9-years-old to the defender we now see him as at Leeds United.

"I don't wish I'd stuck around at all. A club like United is cutthroat, win at all costs, whereas here, you know you're not going to win every game but the players we've got bottle and don't give anyone a second breath. There is more pressure at United, without a doubt. Even if we drew there, it was the end of the world.

Stoke manager, Tony Pulis, has revealed that Manchester United have first refusal on their captain, Ryan Shawcross.

"Alex has covered his backside, he's got first shout on Ryan the crafty bugger has sorted it!"

Shawcross left United almost 3 years ago in the January transfer window for £2m.