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Report of PL debut 10/08/97 v Tottenham

Summary Of Teddy's debut Season 97/98

Teddy Sheringham    

Striker
Born: 2nd April 66, Highams Park, Uk.
Signed 27th June 97
    3.5M   from Tottenham (163apps)

Height: 5' 11"    Weight:  12 st 5lbs
Previous Clubs: Notts Forest (42), Aldershot (4), Millwall (205)

Teddy will not have to wait long to return to White Hart Lane, as United face Spurs on the opening day of the season.

At 31, Teddy will get the chance to play in the Champions League.

There are centre forwards who thrill the crowds - and then there are centre forwards who please their striking partners - Teddy Sheringham falls into the second category.

Play him alongside any other forward and nine times out of ten the end result will be greater than the sum parts.

Sheringham, born in Walthamstow, started his career with Millwall as an apprentice and worked his way through the club junior sides before making his first team debut in January 1984 against Bournemouth.

He had a spell out on loan at Aldershot but returned to The Den to become a fixture in the side during the 1986-87 season when he scored 18 goals.

His partner in crime at Millwall was Tony Cascarino and in the 1987-88 season this pairing scored 42 goals as Millwall reached the First Division for the first time ever.

Millwall had a good first season but were relegated the next year however back in Division Two Sheringham, now 29, again proved he was a potent striker with 33 League goals, 38 in all games - a tally which equalled the club record set by Richard Parker in 1926-27 and Peter Buridge in 1960-61.

Nottingham Forest moved in, paying £2m for his services but although he scored goals for the club he never really settled and 13 months later was back in London - moving to Tottenham for £2,100,000.

The goals started to flow again and by the end of the 1992-93 Sheringham had rattled in 29 to become the Carling Premiership's "Golden Boot" winner.

Goals are, of course, his lifeblood but his partnership with Jurgen Klinsmann flourished becaus eof his unselfish play and his ability to hold the ball up and find his partner.

The same happened in the 1995-96 season - his understanding with Chris Armstrong - the fresh face brought in from Crystal Palace to replace Klinsmann - though taking time to gel, finaly paying dividends. And put Sheringham in an England shirt and he will do the business again.

At international level he has formed a good understanding with Alan Shearer, as shown during Euro 96, the Blackburn striker and though the game demands a degree of selfishness to succeed, Sheringham is a man who knows how to balance the scales - to do what is best for him and for his team.

Desperate for his trophy cabinet to reflect his talent, Teddy Sheringham can't wait to get started at United. In his first major interview since signing, Teddy speaks about restless times at Spurs, replacing Cantona, and his joy at joining the Champions.

If you want to see the full uncut version, you'll just have to get hold of the latest issue of United Magazine, on sale now, price £1.95, or better still, subscribe.

Has it sunk in that you are now a Manchester United player ?

Teddy: It's still sinking in a bit really. I was very excited when I first heard United were interested in me and I couldn't wait to get up there. There was no way I was leaving before I had signed for them. Everyone from around here, even Tottenham supporters, are saying that it's a brilliant move and that I had to do it as it was the best thing for me.

Were you ever concerned that no one would come in for you at £6 million ?

Teddy: No, because the current climate of transfers is so mad that any team has got to be prepared to pay a lot for a player. I wasn't too worried, as there were people like David Ginola who asked for a transfer three months ago, and still nothing had happened for him. I thought there was going to be a mad transfer merry-go-round at the beginning of July. In fact, United were the first team to enquire about me at the end of the season, but they were scared off when they were quoted £6 million. They were quoted as saying that they thought I was too much money and too old. I was disappointed to have to tick them off my list. When I was on holiday, people would ask me where I was going and I told them maybe Liverpool or Newcastle, but definitely not United.

When you decided to leave Tottenham, did you have a short-list of clubs in your head ?

Teddy: The only way I'd have gone was if it would better my career, I would not have gone just for the money. The point was to go to a club that could win trophies.

As a London boy, what will you miss about the capital ?

Ferguson says Sheringham can fill Cantona's boots
1997 Nando.net

LONDON (Aug 5, 1997 - 1997 EDT) - Alex Ferguson has made it clear to Teddy Sheringham that he expects him to fill the cavernous void created by Eric Cantona's shock summer retirement -- and the Manchester United manager is confident the former Spurs man can do it.

Cantona, whose Gallic genius was the inspiration behind five unparalleled years of Old Trafford glory, was regarded by many United fans as a one-off talent who would be impossible to replace.

But within weeks of the Frenchman announcing that he was to retire from playing to take up an acting career, Ferguson had made his first move for Sheringham.

Tottenham immediately placed a 6 million pound ($9 million) price-tag on his head but a deal was eventually struck for 3.5 million.

"Teddy Sheringham is a direct replacement for Eric. He's not a replica, but there is a likeness between the two," said Ferguson on Tuesday.

"Teddy himself knows that and I rate him so highly that I don't think it will be putting too much pressure on him by saying it.

"He's got the same kind of experience as Eric, the same kind of presence about him - and I think he'll be a brilliant signing.

"He's fitted in nicely during the pre-season matches, and I'm sure that the fans will soon have a new hero, although they will never forget Eric."

Ferguson's new book, 'A Will to Win - a Manager's Diary', was published on Tuesday, and in it he documents the roller-coaster ride of last season, including a fourth Premier League title in five years, the agony of United's Champions' Cup semifinal defeat by Borussia Dortmund and Cantona's decision to walk away from football.

But it shows the Frenchman's impact at Old Trafford that even on the eve of a new season Ferguson - never one to look back - still talks about Cantona's contribution.

He said: "Eric brought the vision that this club needed to win the championship in 1993 for the first time in 26 years. After that we never looked back.

"His input is immeasurable. He was a great player and he will never be forgotten.

"The fans loved him - and still do - and he will go down as a legend at Manchester United."

The United boss revealed that he knew Cantona had come to a crossroads in his life after the defeat by Dortmund.

He recalled: "I noticed something was wrong after the Dortmund game - he was very, very quiet.

"I mentioned to him that he was awfully quiet and he told me nothing was wrong, but I could tell he was brooding about something.

"Of course, we were all disappointed about what happened against Dortmund, but I could sense that it hurt Eric deeply. He was absolutely gutted.

"I felt that I was looking at a man who was trying to make decisions about himself."

Ferguson added: "It wasn't a shock when he told me he wanted to retire, because as soon as I found out he wanted a meeting I knew that there was something important.