Manchester United won 13 Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson and one of them came during the 2008/09 season when the Red Devils beat Liverpool by four points to clinch the trophy.
After suffering two defeats at the hands of the Merseyside club and Fulham in the league in March, United were on course of another defeat against Aston Villa at home. Villa were leading the game 2-1 before Cristiano Ronaldo equalised in the 80th minute.
However, the star of that match was Federico Macheda, who scored a stoppage time winner and the Italian also netted another winner against Sunderland in the next league tie.
Though the player shot to fame immediately, the striker failed to live up to expectations and after several loan spells he left United for Cardiff City in 2014.
Macheda couldn’t settle at the Welsh club and after short spells at other sides, he joined Panathinaikos in 2018.
Despite his lack of success after 2009, the 28-year-old remains hopeful of returning to the top after long struggles.
“It looks like a movie story, but the truth is that football has given me so much, even unexpectedly. I’m very lucky. And now I feel I can still return to the highest level. Without seeking revenge, but with the desire to believe in it,” Macheda told Corriere della Sera.
Macheda also had kind words for his former Manchester United manager and Ronaldo: “Playing with Cristiano remains a memory that I keep very close: he was already sick in training and even if he had already won a Ballon d’Or he worked twice as much as others.
“While Ferguson knew how to keep an entire squad at bay: a fantastic person, who helped me a lot.
“I am very happy, both on and off the pitch [now] and I play in a historic club.”
