On this day 12 years ago Collymore came to Old Trafford and helped his team to a 2-1 victory that featured a stunning goal from the striker, leaving Denis Irwin and Gary Pallister in his wake before hammering a left-foot rocket to the roof of the net. It was one of those days when Collymore showed off his vast array of talents. Powerful and fast, he could dribble, cross and shoot brilliantly with either foot and at just 23 seemed to have the world at his talented feet. But Ferguson was already well aware of Stan's talents before that day and for the previous month had been working feverishly behind the scenes to sign him, calling Forest at least once a week to push the deal through.

So sure was Ferguson of landing his quarry that he had promised then-Everton manager Joe Royle that he would sell him Mark Hughes as soon as the deal went through. But Forest were stalling, wanting to hold onto their prize asset until the end of the season (Collymore's 25 goals eventually helped shoot them to third spot in the Premiership that season). Royle was also getting frustrated waiting on Hughes, and tipped Ferguson off that Andy Cole might be available at Newcastle. But Ferguson wanted to make one more effort for Collymore. When he called to speak to Forest manager Frank Clark he was told that Clark was sick for the day and couldn't take his call. Annoyed at what he saw as being fobbed off (Clark insists he was ill on the day in question), he turned his attentions to Cole and landed him early in the new year.

Even so, it was clear that Forest couldn't hold onto Collymore, and he signed for Liverpool before the start of the following season for a then British transfer record of £8.5 million. But the spice boys culture was taking off at the time at Anfield and Roy Evans wasn't the firm hand and disciplinarian necessary to harness Collymore's abilities. While he maintained a record of a goal every other game and formed a briefly formidable partnership with Robbie Fowler he started to have regular run-ins with the management, including refusing to play in the reserves or to move closer to Merseyside from his home town of Cannock.

He was off-loaded to Aston Villa and as his career spiralled downward through a succession of clubs and a battle against depression, he started to be better known for featuring on the front pages of tabloids than the back. Who knows how the story would have ended had Ferguson got his man.