Where are they Now?: Manchester United goalkeepers

Name: Mark Bosnich
Signed: June 1999 from Aston Villa (free transfer)

Then: At the end of the 1998-1999 season, Peter Schmeichel decided that, at the age of 36, he could no longer keep up with the rigours of a 60-game season. The Manchester United legend blieved that, by moving to a slower paced league, he would be more able to carry on his career past the 40 mark. His eventual transfer to Sporting Lisbon in Portugal meant that United were desperately in need of a top-class replacement. In June 1999, United signed Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich on a free transfer. While the big Aston Villa goalkeeper wasn’t the big name on the majority of the United fan’s lips, he was viewed as a useful acquisition all the same. In his first season with the club, Bosnich featured 23 times and helped them lift the 1999 Intercontinental Cup. However, his temperament and behaviour off the pitch often outweighed his obvious footballing talent. He was canon fodder for the tabloids as high profile relationships and drug scandals left his reputation in tatters. He would never feature for United again.

Now: Bosnich is a football analyst and commentator for Australian Fox Sports football programmes. He was most recently in the news after Sir Alex Ferguson declared him to be one of the worst professionals he had ever worked with during his time at Manchester United. After leaving the Red Devils in 2001, Bosnich’s weight problems and drug addiction meant he would only ever play 16 more professional games. In 2008, he was declared bankrupt by the High Court in London and looked to rebuild his life back in his homeland.

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