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Cast your mind back to the summer of 2003...

Manchester United were the newly crowned champions of England, yet Sir Alex Ferguson's iconic treble-winning team was in decline. David Beckham, Jaap Stam, Peter Schmeichel, Andy Cole and Denis Irwin had all departed, while their skipper wasn't far behind.

Injuries had started to catch up with Roy Keane - then 31-year-old - and Ferguson was keen (pun intended) to find a replacement. His scouts located a young midfielder named Eric Djemba-Djemba - and it turned out to be the start of a fascinating career. Here, relives his footballing tale to mark his 41st birthday.

Djemba-Djemba arrived in England with a fine pedigree. The £3.5million signing was part of the Cameroon squad that qualified for the World Cup and won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2002, eventually earning 34 senior caps at international level.

The 23-year-old, in the words of Ferguson, had the qualities necessary to become a star at Old Trafford. "Eric is a young player we've watched throughout the season, and he's impressed us each time with his understanding of the game," said the United boss.

"He's quick, aggressive and a good passer of the ball, and is the kind of athletic footballer we are looking for. In the last few months he has shown his development playing in a very good Cameroon team, and he looks like a Manchester United player in every sense."

Djemba-Djem